Liam Scales is set to miss the opening two matches of Celtic’s Scottish Premiership defence.
That’s due to an unserved suspension from last season, which will carry over into the first two matches of this campaign.
Scales received a 12th yellow card of the season in the final few minutes of Celtic’s win over Motherwell at Fir Park, the penultimate game of the run-in.
This carries the punishment of a two-match ban; however, due to the final day against Hearts coming just three days later, he didn’t need to serve his suspension in the crucial decider.
🚫 He has an unserved ban from last season…
Who comes in?
Liam Scales to miss Celtic’s first two Scottish Premiership matches through suspension
He will now miss the Hoops’ opening two league matches against Dundee and Kilmarnock, on August 3rd and 9th, respectively.
The Irishman appeared in 37 of the Hoops’ 38 league matches last season, so he is already guaranteed to play less than that this time around.
READ MORE: Three things you may have missed in Celtic’s pre-season curtain-raiser vs Shelbourne
It leaves Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Maik Nawrocki and Dane Murray as O’Neill’s options for the two outings.
Carter-Vickers made his return from injury in the Shelbourne clash, playing the first 45 minutes alongside Murray.
Nawrocki spent last season on loan at Hannover 96, who reportedly face competition to land him on a permanent basis.
Trusty was involved at the World Cup until the round of 16 stage and will thus face a much later start to pre-season, raising questions over whether he will be ready for the start of the season.
The Hoops’ Champions League play-off isn’t until later in the month, so the current players should be up to speed by then.
✅ First pre-season friendly ticked off…
What did we make of the performance?
Martin O’Neill on Celtic recruitment for Champions League play-off
Asked by Track Radio about the importance of recruitment for Europe after his permanent appointment: “Absolutely, [recruitment is going to be key]. You’ve nailed it. It’s exactly right.
“We get a two-legged qualification game towards the end of August time.
“The teams that you felt you could definitely beat in, let’s say, early November, you would find really difficult to beat in, let’s say, the second or third week in August, because of the match advantages that they would have over you.
“So yeah, it’s fraught with difficulty in that sense. Celtic failed last year to make it [against Kairat], probably in two games where they would’ve been expecting to go through.
“So I will be concerned, but as you say, excited at the same time that there’s an opportunity for that.”
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