Celtic could be without SEVEN first team players against St Mirren tomorrow.
International weeks are the most worrying of the season for Neil Lennon with his squad scattered far and wide on international duty.
Despite playing on Tuesday Victor Wanyama, Emilio Izaguirre, Georgios Samaras and Miku only returned to Glasgow yesterday after being away with Kenya, Honduras, Greece and Venezuela.
After just one training session the hoops boss will have to decide whether to involve the quartet against St Mirren or hold them back for Tuesday’s Champions League tester in the Nou Camp.
Closer to home Scott Brown, James Forrest and Kris Commons all returned injured from playing for Scotland to give Lennon a selection dilemma ahead of the trip to Paisley.
Brown’s continuing hip injury is Lennon’s major concern with the hoops boss leaving the matter in the hands of his medical team.
“If they were to feel it is a long-term problem then they would shut him down automatically,” Lennon explained. “We would not put his career or his future in jeopardy at all but the medical team seem to think he can cope with this at the minute.
“He gets rest and recovery in between games. He gets treatment, an injection before games and plays. For me, Scott is playing the best football of his career, it’s just unfortunate that he has a significant problem.
“Speaking to the medical team, the only solution is a concerted period of rest but he wanted to play for Scotland and we won’t stand in his way of that but he was feeling sore even in the warm-up.
“He got through the first-half and from where I was watching he looked pretty comfortable but obviously he was in a bit of distress and had to come off at half-time which isn’t like him.
“The majority of games he comes through unscathed but the days after the game are a huge problem for him in terms of discomfort and pain.”
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The time is well overdue for celtic players to be made unavailable for selection for scotland. Its beyond a joke
No point in playing the remaining WC qualifiers for Scotland and even less while Levein is still in charge.
Celtic should always support the national side in making our players available,however Scott brown should not have played against Wales,for the simple reason he isn’t fit just now,Levein should know this. My dream growing up was to play for Celtic and Scotland,Intetnational football is bigger than the Champions league and it always has been.
International football is not bigger than the Champions league. It hasn’t been for over ten years. Why do you think so many top players retire from international football early to [prolong their careers at the real top level. Some players refuse to play for their countries after the age of 30, others simply make themselves unavailable for selection. It is of secondary importance.
Don’t agree John, if Celtic signed a world cup winner and a champions league winner,who would you say had the greater achievement?