With Cameron Carter-Vickers still recovering after undergoing surgery towards the end of last season, Carl Starfelt is the most experienced and dependable centre-back that Celtic have right now. There has been speculation about his future at Parkhead as well amid suggestions that transfer bids could be coming in for the Swede very soon.
Starfelt was left out of the squad to take on Wolves in the recent friendly in Dublin. And many fans saw it as a sign that the Swedish international was on his way out of Parkhead.
The reality appears to be different though. While an exit has not been ruled out, Starfelt did miss the game against Wolves due to fitness reasons. And thankfully, it does not appear to be a serious issue either.
As reported by the Daily Record, Brendan Rodgers said about the situation of Starfelt:
"“Carl twisted his ankle, so he couldn’t travel. Hopefully he’ll be okay for Tuesday.”"
Celtic boss drops Starfelt update amid exit rumours
Celtic are facing a lot of injury problems at the back at this point in time. Carter-Vickers is believed to be closing in on a return but is not quite there yet. Hopefully, Starfelt will be back on the pitch soon.
On the other hand, Yuki Kobayashi has been injured during pre-season. And Maik Nawrocki is not fit enough to feature yet.
With the start of the regular season not far away, it is not an ideal situation for the Hoops to be in. One can only hope that the majority of these players are available for selection by the time Flag Day comes around.
Celtic did well despite the absence of so many defenders against Wolves in Dublin. In fact, it took a controversial late penalty kick for the Premier League side to find the back of the net for the Hoops. That would be cause for optimism for Rodgers, as we head towards the new season.