It’s understood Liam Scales will miss Celtic’s opening two league matches through suspension.
Scales was booked against Motherwell for a foul on Sam Nicholson in injury time at Fir Park, a few minutes prior to Kelechi Iheanacho’s stoppage-time penalty winner.
The caution was the defender’s twelth in the league last term, meaning a two-match ban.
As the two-match ban is “only effective in the same competition from the 7th day following the date of the match when the cautionable offence was incurred”, Liam Scales was cleared to take part in the dramatic final day, just 3-days after his twelth caution.
However, is believed to carry over, Liam Scales therefore has two outstanding Premiership matches to serve, which means Celtic will host Dundee, and travel to Kilmarnock, without the mainstay Irishman.
With Auston Trusty now returning from World Cup duty, and no new defensive recruits on the horizon, Celtic could line-up with Cameron Carter-Vickers making his long awaited return to the starting XI, beside the American or alternatively, the returning Maik Nawrocki or Dane Murray, who partnered Cameron Carter Vickers in Celtic’s first pre-season friendly against Shelbourne – both Nawrocki and Murray with points to prove this season at Celtic.
It leaves Martin O’Neill with an early defensive decision to make at the start of the new league campaign.
Carter-Vickers’ return is a major boost, but Celtic will still need to manage him carefully after his time out. Trusty’s return from international duty also helps, although his sharpness will depend on how quickly he settles back into club training.
For Nawrocki and Murray, the situation could offer an early opportunity. Both defenders will want to make an impression during pre-season, and Scales’ suspension means there may be minutes available sooner than expected.
It also adds more pressure to Celtic’s recruitment drive, with defensive depth now looking like something the club may need to revisit before the window closes.
