Celtic fans won’t love hearing it—but there’s an uncomfortable truth hanging over the title race right now.
And it’s one that’s getting harder to ignore with every passing week.
A warning Celtic can’t shake off
Stephen McGinn has said what a lot of people have been quietly thinking.
Yes, Celtic have the experience. Yes, they’ve got a manager who knows how to get it done. But the constant disruption to the squad is starting to raise real doubts.
“Every time you check a Celtic team, you think they are getting key players back, then another key player is out,”
It’s that stop-start rhythm that worries him most.
“could make them fall short”
It’s blunt—but it’s not wide of the mark.
The problem Celtic keep running into
You can see it in the big games.
Take the recent Scottish Cup clash with Rangers. Celtic dug deep, showed character, and got through it the hard way—without key leaders like Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney.
That kind of grit is admirable. But it’s not sustainable over a full title run-in.
You won’t always get away with it.
You won’t always find a moment.
At some point, quality and consistency have to take over—and that’s where injuries become a real problem.
No room for error now
The timing couldn’t be worse.
With the post-split fixtures approaching, every game from here on out feels like a final. There’s no margin for slip-ups, no easy nights—just pressure, week after week.
The good news? Reinforcements are on the way.
Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston are both expected back soon, which should give the squad a lift at exactly the right moment.
But even that comes with a catch.
They need to come back sharp.
They need to stay fit.
Because another setback now could be the one that tips the balance.
McGinn’s full verdict on the title race
Speaking on Sky Sports, McGinn broke down just how tight things are—and why Celtic’s injury issues could prove decisive:
“We managed to beat Hearts on penalties in the Scottish Cup, but in the league games against Hearts and Celtic, we haven’t taken any points,”
“They have been a step ahead of us in the game, and in different ways. I think it’s really close between them.
“We had a bit more joy against Rangers in the two games, and obviously, we have them in a few weeks. I don’t think there is much between the three teams.
“I genuinely thought, sitting here, if you said to me when Martin O’Neill came in for his second spell, just with title know-how, with a manager that has won the league before, I thought if it looked like this with about seven or eight games to go, then Celtic would win it.
“But every time you check a Celtic team, you think they are getting key players back, then another key player is out, so that could make them fall short, in terms of not having your best players available to them.”
The injury list tells its own story
This isn’t just a short-term issue—it’s been building.
Some players won’t return at all this season. Others are racing against time. And a few are only just making their way back into contention.
- Callum McGregor – Expected back before or just after the international break
- Jota – Unlikely to return this season after a long-term injury
- Cameron Carter-Vickers – Pushing for a comeback but not expected back this season
- Arne Engels – Back in training
- Alistair Johnston – Due back after the international break
- Kasper Schmeichel – Expected return after the international break
- Callum Osmand – Minor setback but could still feature before the season ends
Jota’s situation, in particular, is a tough one. What initially looked like a standard long-term injury is now edging into worrying territory, with his absence stretching close to a full year.
It all comes down to this
Celtic still have everything in their hands.
The quality is there.
The experience is there.
The belief is still there.
But so is the risk.
Because if the injuries keep coming—or if returning players can’t hit top form quickly enough—then McGinn’s warning might not just be talk.
It could end up being the difference between lifting the title… and falling just short.