Celtic set to approach Southampton about loan players

Neil Lennon expects ‘conversation’ about Forster and Elyounoussi

Fraser Forster's loan deal at Celtic could run out before the season finishes. Picture: Craig Williamson / SNS

Playing in June has been floated as a possible solution to the issue of how to complete the league programme if the suspension for the coronavirus outbreak prevents a resumption in the next two months. However, that does not take into account loan arrangements in place for players.

In the case of Celtic, Fraser Forster and Mohamed Elyounoussi would be returned to Southampton before any potential June fixtures were contested – the likelihood that Euro 2020 will be delayed a year opening up that summer window.

For Celtic manager Neil Lennon, who has maintained the season cannot be simply scrubbed in any scenario, it is simply one more imponderable amid many created by the most profound global health crisis in peacetime for a century.

“This has thrown up all sorts of interesting quirks and questions,” said Lennon. “I would need to speak to Peter [Lawwell, Celtic chief executive] or Michael Nicholson [Celtic secretary] on that. It’s a hypothetical at the minute but it’s another thing I will now have to think about. There may be a conversation with Southampton on that.

“We don’t know how long this is going to go on for. It’s an indefinite period. I’ve been told this thing is not even at its peak and it’s going to become more widespread. We don’t know how long this impasse will last. Where we are going to pick up and what do we do with the players in between? Do we go on a break? You can’t fly anywhere, take them anywhere.

“We have a lot to ponder on. We have given the players the weekend off, Monday too. We will have a meeting on Monday with the executive team and see what we can do from there. At the moment we are all in the dark. But, listen, it’s not exclusive to us. A lot of clubs are in the same position. I think we are covered for any eventuality, if the league is postponed or truncated or elongated into the summer. We will be ready.”

How to keep players ticking over – when Lennon has admitted it is inevitable that a player will contract the virus – has a psychological as well as physical dimension.

“We are sort of institutionalised. It’s a way of life,” Lennon said. “We are regimented, a bit like being in the army. You train, you go to the hotel, you have the preparation, the game. All that routine is indefinitely out of the window. And it’s not as if it’s a holiday. We can’t go anywhere or take a break even if you wanted to. It’s a very strange situation.

“I would imagine the Euros may be cancelled which would be a huge shame. The other thing with the virus is we don’t know how long it’s going to last. China seem to have a grip on it now because their numbers are coming down. But from what I gather we haven’t reached our peak yet. It may take a month or maybe more.

“It’s interesting because in Italy they closed the schools and then you had grandparents looking after the little ones. All of a sudden they were picking up the virus and of course it attacks the elderly more. That wasn’t the right thing to do. We are in the delay phase, whatever that means, and all the cancellation of sporting events is part of that. I don’t think it is at a drastic stage yet but it is contagious and that means the numbers will rise and unfortunately so will the fatalities.

“You have to balance public health, public safety against sport. For everybody, players and everyone, sport will have to take a back seat for now.”