Emilio Izaguirre has joined Celtic in their pre-season training camp in Austria and took part in training with his team-mates this morning.
With Fraser Forster flying in yesterday Ronny Deila will be able to turn his attention to putting together the team to face KR Reykjavik in the two remaining games in Austria this week.
In both matches so far Filip Twardzik has played at left-back, completing 90 minutes yesterday against Rapid Vienna, but the arrival of Izaguirre will be a welcome one for the new hoops boss.
Izaguirre played for 135 minutes of Honduras’ doomed World Cup campaign and will be glad to be back among familiar faces as the hoops prepare to set off on another Champions League campaign.
For the bulk of last season the 28-year-old looked back towards the form that he showed in his debut season when he swept the boards picking up three Player of the Year awards after joining Celtic in August 2010 following the World Cup in South Africa.
Izaguirre’s arrival gives Deila an additional option in midfield with Twardzik fully recovered from the succession of knocks that put him out of football for 17 months.
The likely loss of Brown will be a big blow but with Stefan Johansen, Nir Biton, Beram Kayal, Liam Henderson and Twardzik the hoops boss has a few options in that area with Callum McGregor and Dylan McGeouch appearing to make a favourable impression on the new manager. Midfielders Jackson Irvine and John Herron have also joined the first team squad in Austria.
Only Efe Ambrose of the World Cup Celt’s hasn’t made the trip to Austria with the arrival of Forster allowing Deila to get to work on his defensive formation ahead of the trip to Iceland.
Barring any injuries Deila should be able to field last season’s regular defence in Iceland with Mulgrew able to take a step back if the match comes too early for Ambrose.
KR were in cup action yesterday winning 2-0 away to Breidablik thanks to two first half goals from Oscar Orn Hauksson and Baldur Sigurdsson.
On Wednesday KR play bottom of the league Thor in their final match before facing Celtic.