Ange Postecoglou has said that Christopher Jullien will return for Celtic after the International Break at the beginning of October. The Frenchman has been out injured since December 2020 but has worked hard to get himself back fit after an agonising knee injury.
In today’s Media Conference, Postecoglou indicated that the centre back would be returning in a few weeks. The manager also said that James Forrest would return to action around the same time as the central defender.
“I think after the international window I’d expect both of them to hopefully be training with the first team. After that, it will depend on their levels of fitness and how quickly they adapt to what we want to do with our football.”
Celtic signed Cameron Carter-Vickers, Carl Starfelt and Liam Shaw during the window to compete with Stephen Welsh until the Frenchman returns. The defence appears to be stronger than it was at the beginning of the window, despite the exit of Kris Ajer. Jullien would certainly be one of the first picks under Postecoglou. His ability with the ball at his feet as well as his stature would likely add another dimension to the defence.
The defender returned to France to begin his rehabilitation from a knee injury suffered at the end of 2020. In the 3-0 win over Dundee United, the French defender rushed towards the goal and slid in to make a goal-saving clearance but was left grounded when his knee collided with the base of the post. The horror smash saw the central defender stretchered off. After that, in the midst of a painful recovery, he was embroiled in the Dubai-COVID affair after testing positive. He was a big miss for spells last year and we can only hope that his imminent return will be a boost to the team.
I think the Big chap is a crock. Few weeks in, few months out. Get him fit and sell as quickly as possible.