Andrew Gutman will have very limited options when he checks in for training at Lennoxtown next month.
Whether the defender has a work permit for the UK is something of a mystery. There was no video presentation or social media blast to announce his signing with an intended loan deal to Chicago Fire in the MLS blocked.
Plan B saw Gutman go on loan to second tier side Charlotte Independence but in mid-season following the sacking of former Celtic coach Jim McGuinness he switched to FC Cincinnati.
Gutman did join Celtic for pre-season training and looked useful when he played friendlies in Austria but left-back looks an especially difficult position to break through in as Greg Taylor would confirm.
The former Kilmarnock defender is a year younger than Gutman and still to make his Celtic debut after almost two months at the club. In Taylor’s favour over Gutman he has played over 100 SPFL matches, more than half on plastic and is a full international cap and regular in Steve Clarke’s international squad.
Discussing his plans over the American close season Gutman told the Cincinnati website:
Right now, I’m planning on going back to Celtic and training for a month, probably until around December. After that, I’ll take a couple weeks off, go back home and hang out with the family.
They’re definitely in-season but they have such a big squad, so the guys that aren’t rostered for the games, they’ll have training sessions. I’ll get a good stint of training over there with them, just to get back in front of their faces and show them my qualities again, so it’ll be good.
I’ve been through two pre-seasons this year so I definitely want to give my body a break at some point but I think, what is it, two-and-a-half months until our pre-season starts here? So, I definitely want to continue just a little bit longer if I can and then hopefully get six weeks off until January.
Celtic don’t have any definite dates for their Glasgow Cup fixtures with December 2 against Motherwell the date of the next Reserve Cup match.
