Celtic have suffered a fresh injury blow ahead of their crucial Scottish Premiership clash with Hearts, as Martin O’Neill looks to get his side back on track following a heavy European defeat.
The Hoops were thrashed 4-1 by Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday evening, leaving them without a point from their opening two matches in the competition.
Celtic found themselves 3-0 down at half-time in Lisbon after Jhon Duran scored twice and Alexander Bah also found the net, with the visitors unable to recover despite an improved performance after the break.
Camilo Duran pulled a goal back shortly after the hour mark, but Vangelis Pavlidis restored Benfica’s three-goal advantage late on to condemn O’Neill’s side to a result which didn’t really reflect the game.
Match stats | Benfica | Celtic |
|---|---|---|
Shots | 22 | 13 |
Shots on target | 8 | 7 |
Possession | 53% | 47% |
Passes | 515 | 504 |
Pass accuracy | 91% | 90% |
Corners | 8 | 6 |
The Celtic boss was indeed encouraged by his team’s response in the second half, insisting there were positives to take into Sunday’s meeting with Hearts.
Speaking to Celtic Player after the game, O’Neill said: “It was tough. We conceded an early goal from a penalty kick. It put us on the back foot, particularly when we’d started actually quite brightly.
“We’d forced a corner from them, and no sooner had that happened, then we were 2-0 down. We could have capitulated at half-time in the game at 3-0.
“But I take encouragement from the second half performance. I thought we were brilliant.
“I thought we created a lot of chances. Of course, on the break, there’s a possibility of them scoring a goal, which they did do.”
O’Neill also praised the impact of his substitutes and remained confident that Celtic could still qualify for the Europa League knockout stages.
However, the 74-year-old must now prepare for another important fixture without one of his key players, having provided a clearer timeline on an injury that has already kept him out of two matches.
Martin O’Neill confirms Cameron Carter-Vickers injury blow before Hearts
Celtic were without Cameron Carter-Vickers for the defeat to Benfica, with the American defender also missing last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Motherwell.
O’Neill previously confirmed that the centre-back was suffering from a hamstring problem, suggesting he could be sidelined for another ten days.
“Cameron has got a bit of a strain, hamstring strain, so he’s missing,” the Celtic manager explained on Thursday. “I think they are talking about another ten days in which we’ll probably have 15 games!”
And speaking ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Hearts, O’Neill has now confirmed that Carter-Vickers will remain unavailable, with the defender also set to miss the upcoming Europa League clash against Celta Vigo and facing a race to be fit for next weekend’s trip to Hibernian.
Asked whether the 28-year-old could return against Hearts, O’Neill said: “No, I don’t expect that. I think next week, the Hibs game, is the earliest we will probably see him.”
His continued absence represents a significant setback for O’Neill, particularly after Celtic’s defensive struggles against Benfica and with rivals Rangers pushing them every step of the way domestically.
Carter-Vickers has been a mainstay of the Hoops’ defence since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur, and his experience will be missed as Celtic attempt to respond to their European disappointment.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
