Kieran Tierney injury latest as Martin O’Neill reveals worrying update

O’Neill provides concerning Kieran Tierney injury update after Celtic win

Martin O’Neill was pleased with Celtic’s response to their Champions League heartbreak as they defeated Falkirk 2-1, although the victory was overshadowed by a fresh injury concern involving Kieran Tierney.

Celtic returned to Premiership action just days after their devastating 5-4 aggregate defeat to LASK, and they maintained their perfect start to the domestic campaign with another three points.

The Hoops looked comfortable after establishing a two-goal advantage, but Falkirk pulled one back and created a nervy finish. Despite that, O’Neill was satisfied with the way his players reacted after the physical and emotional demands of their 120-minute European battle.

“The exertions and the disappointment of Tuesday night – playing 120 minutes and losing a place in the Champions League which would’ve been fantastic – you have to overcome that,” O’Neill said.

He admitted there had been concerns about how Celtic would cope, particularly with several players still recovering from the effects of their European disappointment.

“We travelled back and we’re still disappointed,” he explained. “The physical and psychological aspects of it all were a big concern today.

“Falkirk came in with plenty of enthusiasm, which I knew they would have, and they caused us umpteen problems here in all the games that I was involved in last year as well.”

O’Neill was particularly pleased that Celtic managed to secure the victory despite some players beginning to show signs of fatigue.

“Delighted to have won. I thought we created an awful lot of really good chances,” he said.

“At 2-0, you feel as if you’re still on the knife edge. They get the goal, and then the last 15 minutes become a worrying time when, in actual fact, it probably shouldn’t be.”

The Celtic boss acknowledged that the demanding schedule is already testing his squad, with another match against Aberdeen coming up on Wednesday.

“It’s early season, and it sounds crazy, but the players are still trying to get up to speed,” O’Neill added.

“We did fine to win.”

Kieran Tierney injury concern

However, Celtic’s victory came at a cost, with Tierney forced off during the match.

O’Neill initially suspected the defender was suffering from cramp, but subsequent information suggested the problem could be more significant.

“Kieran went off, I thought it was the cramp he had, but it wasn’t,” O’Neill revealed.

The Celtic boss admitted the issue appears similar to the injury currently keeping Kasper Høgh out of action, although the exact nature of Tierney’s problem remains unclear.

“It looks quite similar to Kasper in that sense, so I’m genuinely not sure at this minute,” he said.

“I need to find out from the physios and medical staff about it, and what that is. But we’ll see.”

The timing of the concern will be particularly frustrating for Celtic given the number of fixtures packed into the coming weeks.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Tierney, O’Neill remained delighted with the character shown by his team following the disappointment in Austria.

Celtic have now won all three of their Premiership matches and remain perfect domestically, although O’Neill was quick to play down the significance of their early position.

“That’s all it is, really. To be honest, it’s very early,” he said.

For now, Celtic’s focus turns to Wednesday’s meeting with Aberdeen, with O’Neill waiting for further medical assessments before knowing whether Tierney will be available.