NafisaCeltic managed to put some of the pain of their Champions League collapse behind them on Saturday afternoon as Martin O’Neill’s side secured a 2-1 victory over Falkirk at Celtic Park.
It was an important response from the Hoops following the devastating 5-1 defeat to LASK in Austria, a result which saw Celtic surrender a four-goal aggregate advantage and crash out of Champions League qualifying.
Camilo Durán proved to be the hero against Falkirk, scoring twice as Celtic fought their way to another three points.
But despite the positive result, there was still one major concern hanging over Celtic Park.
Captain Callum McGregor and record signing Kasper Høgh were both missing from the matchday squad, immediately raising questions among supporters.
McGregor’s absence had been explained before kick-off, with the Celtic skipper suffering from illness. Høgh’s situation, however, was rather more worrying.
The striker had spoken to the media on Friday and indicated that the discomfort he experienced during the LASK game was simply tiredness. Yet he was still unavailable for the Falkirk match.
Just 30 minutes after Celtic secured the victory, O’Neill provided an update that will leave supporters feeling rather uneasy.
O’Neill confirms heartbreaking Høgh news:
Speaking before the match, O’Neill explained that Celtic are having to carefully manage Høgh because of an injury, with the club facing a demanding run of fixtures.
He said: “We’ve got seven games coming up in the next 22 days and it’s about managing the injury [Kasper] has. We’ll take it day by day. Callum [McGregor] is ill and Kasper [Hogh] is injured.”
The revelation is particularly frustrating because Høgh had appeared to suggest only a day earlier that he was not carrying a significant fitness issue.
For Celtic supporters, the timing could hardly be worse.
Høgh is one of the club’s most important summer additions and was brought in to provide a major attacking threat. Celtic now need him during a hectic period, but O’Neill has admitted that his availability has become something the club must manage carefully.
The Celtic manager was also forced to deal with the aftermath of the LASK disaster, admitting that the Champions League defeat had been a devastating blow.
“It was a devastating blow [on Tuesday] considering the position we were in. It has happened. We can’t do anything about it now. This football club, there’s times where a crisis seems to appear from nowhere.”
That crisis now appears to have extended into the fitness department.
McGregor’s situation should be less concerning. The captain was ruled out because of illness rather than an injury, meaning his return should depend largely on how quickly he recovers.
Høgh is different.
The striker’s injury means O’Neill will have to carefully manage his minutes and avoid rushing him back, particularly with so many matches packed into such a short period.
Durán gives Celtic timely boost:
Fortunately for Celtic, Durán ensured the absence of Høgh did not prevent them from getting the result they desperately needed.
The Colombian scored twice against Falkirk and gave O’Neill a major boost at a time when Celtic needed somebody to step forward.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also impressed in midfield, keeping things simple and helping Celtic control large portions of the game.
Haissem Hassan was another positive, with the left-footed winger causing problems from the right flank and repeatedly looking to attack his marker before delivering into the box.
Still, Celtic will want Høgh back as quickly as possible.
The schedule leaves little room for breathing space, and O’Neill knows that having his record signing available would give him another important weapon in attack.
For now, the 2-1 victory has given Celtic some much-needed relief after the nightmare in Austria.
But the concern surrounding Høgh remains.
The supporters will now be hoping O’Neill’s decision to take things “day by day” means the injury is manageable and that Celtic’s record signing will not be missing for a significant period.
Nafisa
