“There Might Be…” – Major Kieran Tierney Injury Update

Kieran Tierney’s injury does not appear to be as serious as first feared, with the Celtic left-back potentially even available for Wednesday night’s game against Aberdeen.

Tierney was substituted around the 70-minute mark during Celtic’s 2-1 win over Falkirk at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Supporters could initially have been forgiven for thinking it was another routine change, but Martin O’Neill revealed after the game that the problem was not cramp.

He said: (Sky Sports), “Well, Kieran is a bit of a concern for us really, because I thought it was cramp that he had had, but he was complaining about his hip a little bit. We’ll see.

“Honestly, at this minute, I genuinely don’t know. I don’t know who might be available for Wednesday, but we’ve got a couple of days in which to think about it.”

However, a more positive update arrived on Monday night.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, journalist David Friel revealed that the problem is understood to be much less serious than some reports had suggested.

He said: “I’m told it’s not anywhere near as serious as people are making out and he could even be fit for midweek.

“I’m not saying he’s going to play but there might be the option for that to happen.”

Celtic currently do not have a natural senior back-up left-back, with Liam Scales regularly asked to fill in there when Tierney is unavailable.

CeltsAreHere understands a deal for Landon Emenalo had been close, although the Chelsea youngster has been recovering from a thigh injury which has left the move in doubt.

Celtic have also been linked with Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Niels Nkounkou, with reports suggesting that the Hoops have stepped up their interest in the 25-year-old as they continue to assess cover for Tierney.

For now, the immediate concern around Tierney appears to have eased considerably.

Friel stopped short of saying the Scotland international will definitely play against Aberdeen, but the possibility of him being available on Wednesday is a far more positive position than O’Neill’s initial post-match update suggested.