Brendan Rodgers has provided a detailed explanation of Kieran Tierney’s absence from the Celtic side to face Valencia.
The defender has been in full training for a week after being ruled out for two months due to a hip injury.
Pictures of the player taking a full part in training raised expectations that Tierney would be back to face the Spanish side but that option was dismissed at yesterday’s media conference.
Putting more detail on the situation Rodgers told the Evening Times: “That’s [the second leg] maybe a possibility but we’ll just test him over the next week or so.
“He’s looked very good in the last couple of days in training but he’s literally just re-joined the squad. There will be a point over the next couple of weeks when we can bring him in. He looks really strong but it would be unfair to bring him into a game of this magnitude after a week or so training.
“He’s desperate to play and that’s where he’s gaining experience because he also knows he has to look after his body as well. We’re desperate to have him back, but it’s just timing.”
The plastic pitch of Rugby Park is likely to rule out any involvement for Tierney in Sunday’s SPFL clash with a Reserve League fixture at the same venue on Monday.
Pitching the defender into next week’s second leg tie in the Mestalla would be quite an ask with the home match with Motherwell on February 24 a more likely slot for Tierney’s return.
