JOHN KENNEDY has provided an update on the casualty list of Celtic central defenders.
Dedryck Boyata and Kristoffer Ajer both limped off injured in the first half of Celtic disappointing defeat at Kilmarnock on Saturday and they have joined the likes of Marvin Compper on the sidelines as Brendan Rodgers looks to put a defence together for this weekend and the visit of Patrick Thistle in the Scottish Cup.
One defender who will be available is Jozo Simunovic who is never risked on the plastic parks at Kilmarnock or Hamilton due to ongoing concerns about his knee.
“Jozo missed the match at the weekend but he will be fine.
“We just didn’t risk him on the pitch there,” Kennedy revealed.
“We have one or two others, including Compper, who is back in training and we hope to see one or two other faces coming back in.”
The former Celtic centre-half, whose career was cruelly cut short by a knew injury incurred in a Scotland friendly, also said that the supporters will have to be patient as we wait to get our first glimpse of the new German signing Compper.
“But these are guys who haven’t had a lot of minutes on the training pitch, so we have to make sure they get their fitness up in terms of training before we look at the games.”
And he revealed that Celtic are still waiting on news from the medics to see how long Dedryck Boyata and Kristoffer Ajer will be on the sidelines.
“They are getting looked at medically, getting scanned and everything else to let us know exactly what is wrong and we will know in the next few days hopefully.”
While Patrick Thistle should take care of itself, the real challenge is just after that with a lively Zenit side likely to test Celtic’s rearguard. For the Scottish Champions to have any chance, they will need the very best from their fit defenders.
Fingers crossed for Boyata and Ajer then.
John Kennedy was speaking to The Celtic View.
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