Celtic have suffered yet another significant injury setback as defender Auston Trusty picked up what looked like a serious knee injury during international duty.
The incident occurred in stoppage time of the United States’ 2-0 defeat to Portugal, forcing a very late substitution.
Trusty, who has been used sparingly at international level in recent times, had managed to complete the full 90 minutes before the problem arose.
This latest blow comes at a difficult time for the Scottish club. It arrives alongside the official confirmation that influential defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will not feature again for the remainder of the current season. His absence represents a major loss in the heart of defence.
Further defensive concerns remain. Alistair Johnston continues his recovery from hamstring surgery and is now in the final stages of rehabilitation.
However, after making only five appearances this season, Celtic supporters and the coaching staff cannot realistically expect too much from the Canadian right-back in the immediate future.
In addition, promising youngster Colby Donovan sustained a knee injury during Celtic’s disappointing defeat to Dundee United.
As of now, the club has provided no update regarding the severity or expected recovery timeline for Donovan’s injury.
Manager Brendan O’Neill will see his full squad return to training at the Lennoxtown facility over Thursday and Friday.
The extra day of preparation ahead of the weekend fixture away at Dundee is likely to be a welcome bonus for the team.
However, Celtic will still kick off their match after their two closest title challengers have already played.
Injury news has unfortunately dominated discussions around Celtic in recent weeks. Julian Araujo and Tomas Cvancara both missed the March 22 defeat against Dundee United, and there has been very little follow-up information provided by the club since then.
There is, however, some positive news on the injury front. Arne Engels appears to be closing in on a return to action. The midfielder has been sidelined since sustaining a thigh injury on February 11.
If Trusty is ruled out for any period of time, young defender Dane Murray could find himself back in contention for a place in the squad, assuming he has remained free from injury himself.
