Stephen Welsh was back at Celtic this week, recalled from his loan spell at Motherwell but fans quickly noticed he was nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad for Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Falkirk.
Welsh has been outstanding during his time in Lanarkshire, and many expected him to come back into the fold under Martin O’Neill. But the reason for his absence is all about FIFA eligibility rules.
The 25-year-old has obviously played for Motherwell this season, but did not feature competitively for Celtic before making the loan move.
Under FIFA regulations, a player can only feature for two clubs in official matches in a single season. That means if Welsh were to make an appearance for Celtic now, he wouldn’t be able to play for any other club before the summer.
He’d still be eligible to return to Motherwell, but a permanent or new loan move elsewhere would rule him out for the rest of the campaign. That’s why, despite being recalled, he was not included on the bench against Falkirk.
There’s been talk of a possible move to Aberdeen this month, but CeltsAreHere understands that move is highly unlikely as things stand.
Welsh remains in limbo. A standout in Lanarkshire, but stuck in Glasgow as a precaution. Martin O’Neill has suggested, though, that he could head back to the Steelmen before the window shuts.
