O’Neill Reveals Carter-Vickers Return Timeline as Celtic Face Defensive Test

Cameron Carter-Vickers is expected to be around 10 days away from returning to action for Celtic, with Martin O’Neill providing an update on the defender’s recovery.

The American centre-back’s situation has attracted attention over recent weeks, particularly following comments he made after Celtic’s Glasgow derby defeat on September 20.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Carter-Vickers discussed the unpredictable nature of Celtic’s tactical approach, with his remarks generating headlines in the build-up to the international break.

However, O’Neill challenged that interpretation when addressing the media ahead of Celtic’s Premiership fixture against Motherwell. The Celtic manager also revealed that the defender had been absent from training because of a strain.

There had been some optimism that Carter-Vickers might recover in time for the European meeting with Benfica, but O’Neill’s latest comments suggest supporters will have to wait longer to see him back in action.

Asked about the centre-back’s potential return date, O’Neill explained that the player was still injured and indicated that approximately 10 more days would be required.

The Celtic boss also acknowledged the difficulty of managing the situation during such a demanding period, with the club facing a packed schedule in the coming weeks.

Celtic face demanding run without key defender

Celtic have four fixtures scheduled over the next 10 days, beginning with their European clash against Benfica before meetings with Hearts, Celta Vigo and Hibernian.

A home encounter against Dundee United follows on October 28, meaning O’Neill will be hoping Carter-Vickers can make progress towards a return as the fixture list continues to intensify.

The defender had started all 12 of Celtic’s matches this season before missing the Motherwell game, where Dane Murray was brought into the side.

Murray could now be required to continue filling the gap while Carter-Vickers works towards regaining full fitness.

Liam Scales and Auston Trusty remain the other available options in central defence. Scales can also provide cover at left-back when required, offering O’Neill some flexibility as he attempts to manage his defensive resources.

With matches arriving thick and fast across domestic and European competitions, Celtic will be keen to avoid any further setbacks at the back.

The challenge does not end with the immediate run of fixtures, either. Celtic have eight matches to negotiate before the November international break, which follows their Premiership meeting with Kilmarnock on November 8.

O’Neill will therefore be hoping Carter-Vickers can return as expected, while the players currently available in defence remain fit enough to cope with the workload.