Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to miss both LASK games as Celtic suspension explained

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss both legs of Celtic’s Champions League play-off against LASK as he begins serving a UEFA suspension dating back to his time at Besiktas.

The midfielder has been included in Celtic’s 25-man squad for the play-off round, but he will not be available for Wednesday’s first leg at Celtic Park or the return fixture in Austria.

His suspension will also carry into Celtic’s next European fixture if he remains registered for the Champions League or Europa League.

Why is Oxlade-Chamberlain suspended?

The 33-year-old’s punishment originates from a Europa Conference League match between Besiktas and Lugano in December 2023.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was shown a straight red card in the 90th minute after becoming involved in an altercation with Lugano winger Renato Steffen, who was also dismissed.

UEFA subsequently handed both players three-match suspensions.

The problem for Oxlade-Chamberlain was that Besiktas had already played their final European match of that campaign, meaning he had no opportunity to begin serving the ban.

He was then left out of Besiktas’ UEFA squad for the following season, leaving the suspension outstanding.

The same situation occurred when Besiktas took part in European qualifying under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2025.

Why didn’t he serve the ban at Celtic?

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Celtic as a free agent in February but arrived too late to be registered for their Europa League knockout tie against Stuttgart.

As a result, he was unable to serve any part of his outstanding suspension in those matches.

His inclusion in Celtic’s Champions League squad has now triggered the punishment almost three years after the original incident.

Changing clubs does not erase a UEFA suspension, meaning the outstanding matches follow the player into future European competitions.

UEFA’s regulations also mean the suspension remains enforceable, with bans of three to six matches carrying a five-year enforcement period.

Why did Celtic include him in the squad?

At first glance, including a suspended player might seem strange, but there is a clear reason behind Celtic’s decision.

By registering Oxlade-Chamberlain, Celtic can begin working through his outstanding suspension.

Wednesday’s first leg against LASK will count as the first match of his three-game ban, while the return fixture will be the second.

His third and final match will then be served during Celtic’s next UEFA fixture for which he is registered.

Leaving him out of the squad would simply delay the suspension rather than remove it.

The situation is another midfield headache for Martin O’Neill, particularly with Arne Engels expected to complete a move to West Ham.

O’Neill currently has Callum McGregor, Mika Baur, Luke McCowan and Reo Hatate available as central midfield options.

Celtic can still make changes

Celtic have until 11pm on Tuesday to make up to two changes to their Champions League squad.

New signings can be added, but because the squad is already at the 25-player limit, every incoming player would require another player to be removed.

For Oxlade-Chamberlain, though, his absence against LASK is already confirmed.

The LASK first leg will be his first suspension match, the return fixture will be his second, and his final ban will be carried into Celtic’s next eligible UEFA match.