Rodgers hit with cruel injury blow

A fortnight into the new season Brendan Rodgers is facing a central defensive crisis.

Hard on the heels of selling Carl Starfelt the returning manager has been hit by injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh.

The former Spurs man suffered a hamstring issue last week at Aberdeen with Welsh coming off the bench to play the second half alongside Maik Nawrocki.

After signing a new contract on Friday morning Welsh suffered an injury in training, confirming everyone’s worst fears Scott Burns of the Daily Record reports:

Stephen Welsh will be sidelined for at least two months – leaving Celtic facing a defensive crisis.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is already out for a few weeks with a hamstring issue and now Welsh also faces a long spell on the sidelines. The home-grown defender suffered ligament damage in his ankle after an accidental training ground clash on Friday.

The 23-year-old was sent for a scan yesterday and they have confirmed that he will be out for at least eight weeks – if not longer. It means that Welsh will miss a major chunk of domestic games and the start of the Champions League. It is a major blow for Welsh, who penned a new long-term contract on Friday, and Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.

At Kilmarnock tomorrow Rodgers will have virtually no other option that to pair Nawrocki with midweek signing Gustaf Lagerbielke.

Liam Scales has failed to make the bench in the first two SPFL matches but seems certain to be on the bench at Rugby Park despite speculation linking him with a return to Aberdeen.