![Celtic's Greek Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou attends a press conference at Celtic Park in Glasgow on October 24, 2022, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group F football match against Shakhtar Donetsk. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by ANDY BUCHANAN has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Celtic's Greek Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou] instead of [Celtic's English goalkeeper Joe Hart ]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9dce004c691f42eb863841de1e075dd817c90867bff36d432d1784948871668a.jpg "Celtic's Greek Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou attends a press conference at Celtic Park in Glasgow on October 24, 2022, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group F football match against Shakhtar Donetsk. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by ANDY BUCHANAN has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Celtic's Greek Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou] instead of [Celtic's English goalkeeper Joe Hart ]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)")
The mood around the Celtic camp will not be a happy one tonight, as the Hoops were knocked out of Europe altogether. They have no hopes left of making it to even the Europa League and are now guaranteed to finish bottom of their group, even if they beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Maybe the return of a player from long-term injury could raise the spirits a bit in the near future.
Celtic fans were delighted to see Carl Starfelt back in training and are hoping that he returns to action now as soon as possible. The Swedish defender has been injured since the 4-0 win over the Rangers in the first Glasgow Derby of the season. In his absence, Moritz Jenz has become the partner to Cameron Carter-Vickers in Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI.
There are still question marks about Jenz though, who is currently on a season-long loan from Ligue 1 side Lorient. The German’s time as the starting centre-back at Celtic has been up and down.
There have been times when he has looked like a Rolls Royce of a defender. While on other occasions, major question marks have been raised about him, for example the 2-0 defeat vs St Mirren. On all three occasions that Celtic have conceded 3 goals this season, Jenz played the full 90 minutes. Thus, most people believe that Starfelt will get his place back in the starting XI when he attains full fitness. Not Frank McAvennie though.
Pundit believes Celtic starter has lost his place in the team
McAvennie feels that the Swede has lost his status as a starter and he is third choice now behind Carter-Vickers and Jenz. As reported by Football Insider, the former Celtic star said:
"“The biggest thing for me is that partnership now between Jenz and Carter-Vickers.“I think they have struck up quite a good understanding with Starfelt being injured. I think he will be third place now.”"
It will be interesting to see if Postecoglou decides to stick with Jenz or goes back to the tried and tested partnership of Carter-Vickers and Starfelt, when the Swedish international is back up to full speed.
Starfelt must be gradually brought back into the fold though. He has had multiple medium-term injuries this season already and needs to be extra careful moving forward, in order to avoid picking up another problem.