Martin O’Neill drops intriguing Cameron Carter-Vickers hint at Celtic after his return from injury

Amidst the relentless chaos surrounding Celtic this season, the prolonged absence of Cameron Carter-Vickers has been one of the most glaring issues.

Back in October, Carter-Vickers suffered an Achilles tendon injury, and it was probably overshadowed by the fact that Celtic’s season descended into madness following Brendan Rodgers’s exit weeks later.

Celtic’s defensive rock has been back on the grass at Lennoxtown since last week, though Martin O’Neill insists he isn’t quite ready for a return to competitive action.

However, after being forced to watch Auston Trusty and Liam Scales hold the fort at the heart of the Celtic defence for most of the season, the commanding centre-half clearly has other ideas.

O’Neill revealed that Carter-Vickers is ‘pushing as strongly as possible’ to feature before the campaign concludes, meaning a dramatic late-season return hasn’t been completely ruled out.

“Listen, he is a character,” said O’Neill. “He wants to push on as strongly as possible. It’s a matter of sometimes reigning him in a little bit.

“Had this season been extended, or been able to get fit a wee bit earlier, it would have been nice to have seen him back, but listen, he isn’t ruling anything out.”

READ MORE: Celtic fans give their verdict on whether Daizen Maeda should play on the left against Rangers

Would you like to see Reo Hatate feature against Rangers?

Hatate has been an unused sub for three matches in a row!

Martin O’Neill’s positive update on Cameron Carter-Vickers’ injury return

It is also worth remembering that the United States is set to co-host this summer’s massive World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada.

On an international level, the defender would have wanted to cement his place in Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT setup, but his prolonged absence means that particular ship has probably sailed.

That’s probably another reason why Carter-Vickers is so eager to get back on the pitch. Help Celtic win the double, and then make a very late and unlikely surge into the USMNT World Cup squad.

Regardless, speaking to Sky Sports News, O’Neill made sure to give the American his flowers, highlighting just what a ‘great player’ he has been for the Hoops since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021.

“A wee bit early for him,” said O’Neill after Carter-Vickers returned to training last week. “He’s doing very, very well.

“Listen, he is a character. He wants to push on as strongly as possible. It’s a matter of sometimes reigning him in a little bit.

“But he has been a great player for the football club. Had this season been extended, or been able to get fit a wee bit earlier, it would have been nice to have seen him back, but listen, he isn’t ruling anything out.”