Kieran Tierney’s rotten luck with injuries is nothing new.
In fact, it’s sadly been a defining constant in his career, denying him momentum at Arsenal and ruling him out of crucial games for Scotland and Celtic.
In the Hoops’ 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Wednesday, Tierney had to be withdrawn for Marcelo Saracchi after a collision with Toyosi Olusanya.
This has since been reported to be a foot problem, making it the eighth different kind of major injury in his career. We reviewed his full availability history.
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Injury history of Celtic’s Kieran Tierney
Tierney’s first major absence came in 2016-17, when an ankle injury sustained in training meant that Emilio Izaguirre had to step in over the busy festive period.
He got through the following season relatively unscathed, before the beginning of his hip issues in 2018-19.
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Again missing the festive period, he returned at the beginning of April to aid Neil Lennon’s treble push. However, he had made far from a full recovery.
Tierney openly admitted to being on injections and playing through pain during that period. He underwent a double hernia surgery at the end of the season, signing for Arsenal that summer.
Just a month after finally making his Arsenal debut, Tierney missed four months with a shoulder issue, but established himself as a regular after his return.
Tierney unexpectedly missed Scotland’s opening match at EURO 2020 due to a calf problem, and persistent knee problems over the next year forced him to have surgery.
He joined Real Sociedad in 2023, and after a few hamstring niggles during the season, this culminated in a serious hamstring injury sustained in Scotland’s second EURO 2024 match against Switzerland.
This ruled him out for 156 days, and is Tierney’s last major injury.
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Kieran Tierney’s Celtic availability: a verdict
Rather than one recurring injury, Tierney’s issues have been defined by one problem constantly leading to another.
Anyone who has had surgery will know that the body’s overcompensation can lead to injuries elsewhere.
Since making his return to Celtic, Tierney’s fitness has been managed meticulously, with Saracchi’s presence helping manage his minutes.
The Aberdeen collision looks set to be the first major issue since his return.
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