The Celtic fanbase has been left hugely concerned with the prospect of Callum McGregor heading away with Scotland next month.
McGregor has been sidelined for the last four matches with a hamstring knock. This was picked up in a recent 3-0 win against Ross County. Yet despite the Celtic captain continuing to appear close to full fitness, his return date has continued to be pushed back.
Ange Postecoglou said before the weekend that McGregor was unlikely to return for the Bayer Leverkusen match on Thursday night. That leaves only the Aberdeen game on Sunday as his last chance to bag minutes before international duty.
McGregor has been called up for the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Israel and Faroe Islands respectively. The matches will take place on October 9th and 12th.
Steve Clarke earlier confirmed his reasoning for calling McGregor up in the first place. He stated he hoped Callum could get some minutes over the next week and that he was confident he would join up with the squad [Clyde 1].
Celtic fans right to be concerned with Callum McGregor situation
Celtic can’t demand that McGregor step down from international duty. Clubs have an obligation to release players if they’re fit and ready. But if he isn’t 100% good to go, then McGregor dropping out can be validated.
After all, the player himself can reject an international call-up. Many Celtic fans may be wondering why Callum doesn’t simply just do that. What’s worrying here is that the Hoops captain will have a burning desire to represent his country on a massive stage.
Scotland need two wins from the next two games to seriously push forward their World Cup ambitions. With no room for error, McGregor will be keen to put his name forward for action. Perhaps at the risk of aggravating his current knock.
That would be disastrous for a Celtic side that is far too reliant on him. It’s essential McGregor drops out if he’s feeling any negative effects.
And it’s clear his call-up has pretty much angered sections of the Celtic support. Here’s a look at some of the reaction to today’s news:
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