New Celtic midfielder Luca Connell could end up missing some vital Champions League qualifiers for the club over the course of July.
The European Under-19 Championship kicks off on July 14th, with Republic of Ireland’s first game taking place on 15th July against Norway (UEFA).
The under-19s have already been on a pre-tournament training camp too. They leave Dublin on July 9th to get ready for the competition. Under-19s coach Tom Mohan has taken the youngsters on a three-day training course at the FAI National Training Centre (FAI).
As of yet, no decision on the squad has been made. Connell, however, managed to make his first senior call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad earlier this month.
The squad must be a 20-man one, and Mohan has already told the FAI that he’s waiting as long as possible to make his decision (FAI).
But what it effectively means is that, if Connell is selected, which is highly likely, he would miss the tie against Sarajevo, as well as potentially missing the first-leg of the second qualifier against either Nomme Kalju or Shkendija.
If the Republic are knocked out of the group stage, Celtic will still likely be without Connell.
Champions League qualifiers are essential, but no panic over Connell
The Champions League qualifiers are of supreme importance to the Hoops, but losing Connell isn’t too much of a blow. That’s not because he isn’t rated, but because you would fancy Celtic to do the business against Sarajevo and Nomme Kalju/Shkendija in any case.
Connell also has to earn his place at Parkhead. At the moment, he has several top stars ahead of him. The likes of Callum McGregor and Scott Brown, for example, will likely be running the show. Neil Lennon has more than enough ammunition to dispose of the opposition in qualifying rounds one and two. When the trickier ties come afterward, however, having everyone available is a priority.
It’s also not clear as of yet as to what plans Celtic have for Connell. Do they see him as one for the here and now? Could jumping down to Tommy McIntyre’s reserves be an option? Is he too good for that?
Lennon hasn’t really revealed what the plan is for the former Bolton youngster. It’s also important to bear in mind that he’s only made 12 appearances in senior football too. Celtic don’t tend to rush youngsters with little experience into the first-team.
But, in any case, it looks likely we’ll be missing him for a few of qualifying matches, as well as a pre-season friendly against Rennes respectively. Lennon won’t lose sleep over it, but hopefully we get a glimpse of Connell’s talents as soon as we can.
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