Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will be without defender Stephen Welsh for today’s lunchtime meeting with Aberdeen.

The Lowdown: Hoops return

The Hoops were last in competitive action five weeks ago against Ross County, winning 2-1 prior to the break for the World Cup.

Domestic action returns for Celtic today with a trip to Pittodrie, where a win will take their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership back to nine points.

However, Postecoglou has been handed a fresh injury blow following the club’s training camp in Portugal.

The Latest: Injury update

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Celtic will be without Welsh for the trip to Aberdeen after the centre-back suffered a ‘niggle’ and will be sidelined for ‘a couple of weeks’.

There is good news, though, with Callum McGregor set to return and Cameron Carter-Vickers, Aaron Mooy and Daizen Maeda available following stints in Qatar for their respective countries.

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The Verdict: Not ideal

Welsh, hailed as 'superb' by Greg Taylor, has made four Premiership starts this season and could have been hoping to have featured in the squad at Pittodrie.

He would have given Postecoglou another centre-back option, so this injury update isn’t ideal for either player or manager.

Hopefully, he can make a quick recovery and can make himself available early in the New Year in what will be a busy second half of the season for the Hoops.