HAVING got himself back to full fitness and ready to start at Ibrox yesterday Hatem Abd Elhamed had probably more reason than most to curse his luck when he heard – along wit his Celtic teammates – on Friday lunchtime that the Premiership match against the Rangers was off and that the game was closed down indefinitely.
Elhamed had been missing since pulling a muscle in the historic 2-1 win against Lazio in Rome last November and yesterday was looking like his first start since then. He was of course also looking forward to the international break and the chance to play or Israel against Scotland at Hampden at the end of the month as both sides looked to win a play-off final place and the chance to get to the Euros this summer.
Now though it is highly unlikely to say the least that any of that will happen, with the domestic season being effectively over, all bar an official announcement, and the Euro qualifiers and the Euros themselves set to be pushed back probably to next Summer for Finals.
Steve Clarke was scheduled to announce his squad for the match against Israel and if successful the final a few days later. That squad announcement has been delayed, to allow formal news of the game’s postponement to be made. That announcement is expected this afternoon.
The Celtic defender has been speaking to Israeli media, as reported by Scottish Sun, about all of this. “The club have told us we won’t be playing football until UEFA tell us what to do.
“I was training for the Rangers v Celtic game and now we are off for at least ten days. The feeling here in Scotland is that UEFA will decide what all leagues will do.
“There is uncertainty and everyone is asking where we are going from here. We have a very big points gap at the top of the table and we are on our way to winning the championship.
“Now we are wondering if we will be Champions if they decide to end the season. It’s a shame, but it’s not in our hands. It’s something global.
“I think there have been a few instances in the UK that footballers have been infected with the coronavirus and it has made a big impact. Here in Scotland, everything is normal because the restaurants and shopping malls are open, but that’s constantly changing.
“Personally, I am very disappointed with what is happening because I have been without football for four months and returned to play after a very long period of recovery and rehabilitation. It is difficult for a footballer to go through the day in the middle of the season without football. That’s what we do and that’s our life.
“Hopefully, this should make people better human beings. We’re ultimately a very small thing in this world and if such a small virus can paralyse the entire world and ends the economy and people’s health, people should think carefully about what they are and who they are.
“Maybe this coronavirus crisis will improve us all. I want to be optimistic about the future, but it’s hard to be like that when you look at the situation in Italy and Spain.
“I’ve gone from laughing and teasing James Forrest, who scored a hat-trick against us the last time we played, about the Euro 2020 game to wondering what the future will hold.”
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