Ange Postecoglou reveals massive Callum McGregor comeback boost

Callum McGregor’s knee injury won’t require surgery with the midfielder facing three or four weeks out through injury.

Since he had to be replaced before half-time in the Champions League defeat from RB Leipzig there has been s frenzy of speculation over the extent of the injury.

Images of him using a knee brace on his way to see a London specialist added to the drama with Ange Postecoglou admitting at his Friday media conferences that the injury wouldn’t be short term.

McGregor’s fitness was again the first topic in Perth today as Celtic faced their first match of the season without their influential and inspirational skipper.

?BREAKING Ange Postecoglou reveals Celtic captain Callum McGregor will be out until after the World Cup ?? pic.twitter.com/D6AY4IeHpX

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) October 8, 2022

The Glasgow Times reports:

Subsequent fears of a lengthy lay-off were unfounded with the manager confirming before Saturday’s match against St Johnstone that McGregor would miss “three or four weeks” and return after the World Cup break.

Asked to clarify whether his skipper required surgery after his side had defeated St Johnstone 2-1 in Perth thanks to an Andy Considine own goal and Giorgos Giakoumakis’s late winner, Postecoglou said: “No.”

He added: “Initial reports were probably that the break helps us a little bit but he (Callum McGregor) will miss three or four weeks which is a fair amount of football but, with the break, not so bad. 

“The good thing is that with the break he will be raring to go when the season resumes and that will be a massive bonus for us.”

That timeline could see McGregor in line for a comeback before the final pre-World Cup match when Celtic host Ross County on November 12.

While that might be tempting the benefits of a further four weeks of rehab ahead of a testing fortnight that includes trips to Pittodrie, Easter Road and Ibrox would suggest that McGregor won’t be back in action until mid-December.