Martin O’Neill delivers latest Mika Baur injury update after Celtic win

Martin O’Neill has provided another update on Mika Baur after the Celtic midfielder picked up an ankle injury during Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock.

Baur was unable to complete the match after going down in considerable pain following a challenge involving Aaron Tshibola late in the second half.

The German was subsequently replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with O’Neill initially revealing that Celtic’s medical staff suspected he could have suffered a heavy ankle sprain.

Speaking after the game to The Celtic Way, the manager confirmed that Baur was still receiving treatment and would likely undergo a scan on Tuesday.

“Yeah, he’s in the treatment room at this minute. His ankle is very sore and we don’t know the damage just at this minute. I assume that he’ll probably wait until tomorrow to get a scan,” O’Neill explained.

He added: “Gosh, I’m hoping that he would not be out for terribly long. I just don’t know at the moment because he’s been brilliant for us.”

The latest comments suggest Celtic are still waiting for a clearer picture of the injury, with the scan expected to establish how serious the problem is.

O’Neill had previously indicated that the club’s physio believed it could be a heavy ankle sprain, although that has not yet been confirmed as the official diagnosis.

Mika Baur injury comes as a setback for Celtic

Baur’s withdrawal was one of the disappointing aspects of an otherwise positive afternoon for Celtic.

The victory over Kilmarnock restored the Hoops’ four-point advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but losing an increasingly influential midfielder could become a concern for O’Neill.

The German had been involved in several notable moments before his afternoon ended.

His first-half challenge on Greg Kiltie was at the centre of the VAR review that resulted in Kasper Høgh’s goal being disallowed. Baur also had the ball in the net himself later in the match, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

His contribution has grown in importance, with his forward runs from midfield providing Celtic with an additional attacking threat around the opposition penalty area.

There is also uncertainty over whether he will be available to join Germany’s Under-21 squad during the international break.

That decision will depend on the results of his scan and how quickly he can recover.

For now, Celtic must wait for the medical assessment before determining how long Baur could be unavailable. O’Neill will certainly hope the injury is not serious, given the midfielder’s growing importance to the team.