Celtic have suffered a significant setback ahead of their Champions League match against Atalanta on Wednesday, with Brendan Rodgers confirming that Cameron Carter-Vickers did not travel with the squad due to injury.
Hopes had been high that the American defender would be fit after training last week and ahead of the weekend fixture against Aberdeen, but he failed to make the matchday squad, and those hopes have now been dashed for Wednesday’s game.
In addition to Carter-Vickers’ absence, Greg Taylor remains sidelined, as expected. This means that Alex Valle is set to retain his starting position in defence, with Celtic relying on their available squad as they look to secure a positive result against the Italian side.
🇮🇹 @AndrewMaclean_ is live in Bergamo ahead of Celtic v Atalanta tomorrow night
👀 There’s a big squad update coming out of Brendan Rodgers’ press conference…
➡️ @ukdebtexpert pic.twitter.com/Sy7mcePZbS
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) October 22, 2024
Carter-Vickers’ injury comes as a blow, given his importance to Celtic’s backline, but Rodgers will be hoping his team can rise to the occasion despite these key absences.
It will likely see Auston Trusty line up beside Liam Scales in Bergamo.
The American has come under a lot of criticism in recent weeks. Signed for £6 million in the summer, he’s not exactly hit the ground running in the Hoops.
He’ll be looking to put some of his doubters to bed on Wednesday night with a strong performance.
What is it with this guy CCV – missing in action for about 2 months with a sore toe? I mean, come on! Auston Trusty is nowhere near as competent in defence and that means the liklihood of a thrashing from Atalanta tomorrow now stands at about 80%. If this CCV character is going to keep playing sick bed for months on end, like he did last season, then get shot of him and bring in a player of equal quality who can stand the rigour of the game and is man enough to play important games through the pain barrier. He’s costing Celtic big time.
I am delighted to admit how wrong I was – Auston Trusty was brilliant in defence against Atalanta and the overall team performance against such a strong Italian side was fantastic. Next test is RB Leipzig, presently sitting second in the German Bundesliga. It’s not getting that much easier for Celtic!