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Celtic: Cameron Carter-Vickers ruled out of Real Madrid clash
Celtic have been handed an injury blow after Ange Postecoglou confirmed that Cameron Carter-Vickers is set to miss the Champions League game against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.
The Lowdown: Injury concerns
The Premiership champions earned a comfortable 3-0 victory over Livingston last weekend, and with nothing left to lose in Europe, they should be heading into tonight’s clash full of confidence and unburdened by expectation.
However, the Hoops will need to complete their final group game without the services of the American centre-back, who is said to have suffered some after-effects from the most recent league action.
The Latest: Carter-Vickers fitness update
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that Carter-Vickers struggled with the conditions of Livingston’s pitch and has therefore not travelled to Spain with the rest of the squad to face Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
As quoted by Football Scotland, the Celtic manager said: “Cameron Carter-Vickers pulled up a bit sore after the game on Sunday. The artificial pitch wasn’t great for him so we’ve left him at home.
“Everyone else apart from Callum (McGregor) – obviously he’s out – is fit and available.”
The Verdict: Blow for Postecoglou
Carter-Vickers has been hailed a ‘big player’ for Celtic by club captain Callum McGregor, and it’ll be a big blow for Postecoglou not having him available for selection this evening.
The American is currently averaging 3.9 clearances and 3.7 aerial duels per game and has a pass success rate of 91%, ranking among the Hoops’ top three players for each metric, highlighting how much of a rock he has been at the heart of the backline (WhoScored).
Taking the decision not to risk him is the right one for an inconsequential fixture, given that he’s already been sidelined once this season; and with the World Cup just around the corner, he’ll no doubt be hoping to make a swift return to action.
