Celtic have again, fortunately, avoided another Covid set-back this afternoon after two more positive tests from a nation represented by a Hoops player.
Indeed, Shane Duffy’s Ireland sent out a tweet earlier this afternoon confirming that both Stoke City’s James McClean and Tottenham Hotspur’s Matt Doherty had tested positive for Covid.
But, in a move that will undoubtedly provide Neil Lennon with some relief, the rest of the playing staff tested negative ahead of their flight back to Dublin this morning.
It’s not the first time Celtic have been sweating over Duffy during the current international break either. The FAI released a statement at the start of the international break confirming that another of their players had tested positive. They later tweeted that this was Callum Robinson, with no close contacts identified.
The Hoops have also struck lucky with Hatem Elhamed and Nir Bitton so far, who also didn’t come into contact with positive-testing Israeli team-mate Munas Dabbur (Daily Mail).
International breaks just aren’t enjoyable as things stand
It’s been put forward by plenty of people the fact that international breaks shouldn’t be going ahead from a health and safety perspective. That’s true – it undermines both domestic and international laws regarding travel restrictions.
However, let’s look at these breaks from FIFA and UEFA’s perspective. They see it as providing entertainment, but it’s difficult to even say that these matches are enjoyable anymore.
Sure, we all back our nations when they play. That’s fine, and there’s not a single Scot who didn’t enjoy Thursday night’s win Serbia. But the rest of the time we’re all just worried about our club’s players.
Whenever we hear about a Covid case in an international squad that involves a Celtic player, it strikes fear into you. The prospect of one of our top stars having to isolate for 10-14 days at such a crucial period of our season just isn’t on.
Look at how badly it affected us last month when the likes of Bitton, Elhamed, Odsonne Edouard, and Ryan Christie were all ruled out of crucial matches due to their international Covid setbacks. Since then, nothing has been done about it either.
The entertainment value of international breaks have been stripped away and replaced with panic and fear. Getting everyone back fit and healthy has never been celebrated as much as it is these days. Thankfully, Duffy continues to be in a place where he can continue to play for the time being. Regardless of his struggling form, that’s still a plus for Celtic.
In other news, Celtic are reportedly confident of a class update heading into a huge weekend.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
