Bleak outlook for Celtic's injured players for key upcoming matches

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has raised the possibility of being without his currently sidelined main players till mid-October.

Greg Taylor, left, and Kyogo Furuhashi are currently sidelined for Celtic.

The Australian has ruled out any bolstering of his under-stregthened squad for the cinch Premiership visit of the Dundee United on Sunday but intimated there are no guarantees that he will have Callum McGregor, Kyogo Furuhashi or James Forrest in contention for the Europa League hosting of Bayer Leverkusen or the league trip to Aberdeen three days later that will precede the fortnight international break.

Postecoglou’s problems have continued to mount with the calf strain sustained by Giorgios Giakoumakis in the warm-up before the midweek Premier Sport Cup win leaving no timescale for a first outing from new Greek striker, while Mikey Johnston was unavailable only days after returning from two months out. Meanwhile, Greg Taylor’s return from a shoulder injury isn’t expected until November, with no date set for Christopher Jullien fully rejoining the squad as he makes his way back from a knee injury that has prevented him playing in 2021.

McGregor, on signing a new five-year contract, said he was hopeful of being back next week, but Postecoglou sounded a note of caution over any possibility of his captain featuring against the Bundesliga club – which would put his participation in Scotland’s pivotal World Cup qualifying encounters against Israel on October 9 and the Faroe Islands game three days later in down.

“With Cal [McGregor], I think next Thursday is being optimistic for him,” the Celtic manager said. ‘Kyogo, I doubt we’ll see him this side of the international window – but he’s pushing hard. Unfortunately Mikey Johnston picked up a slight niggle earlier this week so he’ll be out. I’m not sure he’ll be back and it’s the same with others like James Forrest. To cut a long story short, we won’t get anyone back. And we lost another one on Thursday night.”

Postecoglou is requiring to lean on all members in his squad in certain areas, with Liam Scales making his first appearance for the club following his move from Shamrock Rovers in the Raith win on the left-side of defence where teenager Adam Montgmoery has also been utilised in Taylor’s absence.

“Montgomery is 19 and we’re playing him here, there and everywhere,” said Postecoglou. “Scales made his debut against Raith. We’re either debuting or giving first starts to players in every game. We’re dipping into as much of the well as we possibly can. I haven’t been through too many periods like this in my career, where it’s so challenging in terms of what’s happening off the field with injuries and disruptions. But it is what it is, mate. What our supporters want to know is we’re coming here Sunday to give everything to get a result – and just getting on with it.’

Postecoglou concedes that the three away losses in the league – the latest in Livingston last weekend – leaves his team walking a tightrope in every top flight encounter, starting with United.

‘We have little or no scope for dropping points,” he said candidly. “All we have to do is try to win games of football. I’m not going to look into a crystal ball and say how many points we’re going to need or how many games there are when we can drop.”