Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - December 9, 2021. Celtic's James McCarthy applauds fans after the match.
Celtic have been handed a fitness boost after Ange Postecoglou confirmed that James McCarthy is available for selection to take on St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
The Lowdown: McCarthy’s Shakhtar absence
The Hoops earned a well-deserved 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League during midweek and will now be hoping to take this same level of performance to the SMISA stadium.
The 31-year-old missed the European trip to Poland due to coming down with an illness, meaning that he didn’t travel with the rest of the team, though the midfielder is now set to return to the match-day squad this weekend.
The Latest: Postecoglou’s fitness update
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Postecoglou revealed that McCarthy has been back in training and is in contention for the St. Mirren clash.
“At this stage, everyone’s sort of pulled up okay from Wednesday night so no real issues coming out of that.
“Aside from that, McCarthy missed Wednesday night, he had a bit of an illness but he was back training today.
“Carl Starfelt is obviously out until after the international break. Everyone else should be okay.”
The Verdict: Boost for Ange
Despite only making two appearances for Celtic this season, McCarthy still provides an excellent option from the bench and the boss will no doubt be happy to have him back at his disposal.
The Irishman, dubbed a ‘class act’ by his former Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, has scored 13 goals and provided 12 assists throughout his career (WhoScored).
Will Celtic beat St. Mirren?
Yes
No
McCarthy evidently has the quality in his locker but just needs to be given a decent run to show it, and he will be hoping that he gets his opportunity with the Bhoys starting on Sunday.
About the Author
