Celtic might have gone out of the Champions League qualifiers, but they are yet to drop points on the domestic front. They also made it to the Europa League comfortably, and Lennon will look to start things from where he left off before the international break. However, the Hoops are going through a significant injury crisis at the back, and with a big European encounter against Rennes around the corner, Lennon must be sweating regarding his team’s defensive injuries.
Concern at the back for Celtic
The manager recently revealed (The Scottish Sun) that Nir Bitton could be out for 3 to 4 weeks and Simunovic will need to see a specialist. There is no return date known on the Croatian defender so we think that he could be out for months. Kristoffer Ajer might be available for the clash against Hamilton on 14th of this month, but it could be touch and go.
Therefore right now, only Christopher Jullien and Jack Hendry are the fit and available centre backs at the club. Lennon must be slightly relieved that the international break came at the right time and it will give some extra time for his players to recover without missing any games.
Hendry is unlikely to be involved in the first team as he is currently on the fringes of the squad. The defender was linked with a loan move away from the club this summer, but nothing materialised. He is likely going to sit on the bench for Celtic.
Who can fill in defence with so many injuries?
If Ajer isn’t able to get fit in time, Lennon will effectively have only one centre back available in Jullien. The manager, though, can opt for Hatem Abd Elhamed who has predominantly played as a centre back for most parts of his career. The Celtic boss might see him as a right-back, but with Mortiz Bauer also coming in, we can see Elhamed shifting in a centre back role. This is if Ajer, Simunovic and Bitton continue to remain unavailable.
Elhamed has looked bright in the right-back slot, and his ability to play as a centre back is likely going to come in handy in this time of crisis. The defender even made his debut in Israel’s national team at the age of 28, so one can term him as a bit of a late bloomer.
Celtic showed in the Old Firm derby that they can cope with injuries as two first-choice defenders were missing and the Hoops still managed to keep a clean sheet at Ibrox. That’s what champion sides are made of as they found solutions even in the times of adversaries.
