Celtic player missing from official 2023/24 squad photo

Celtic have a big squad at this point in time. They added nine fresh faces to their ranks over the summer, with seven arriving on a permanent basis while two were signed on loan deals. On the other hand, we have seen key players like Jota and Carl Starfelt leave while Aaron Mooy retired at the end of the previous campaign.

Thus, this is quite a different squad from last season. And interestingly, one player was missing from the official 2023/24 team photo.

That is none other than James McCarthy. The Republic of Ireland international is one of the most experienced players at Celtic but he has struggled for playing time since arriving in the summer of 2021.

And he was not part of the team photo that Celtic posted on Twitter:

Celtic player missing from official 2023/24 squad photo

Of course, it is very clear that McCarthy is not part of the plans right now and to be very honest, has never really been at Celtic. Most fans were unsure about the signing from the get-go considering his injury history and unfortunately, they have been proven right.

The midfielder has barely featured for the Hoops. He was expected to leave in the summer but it did not materialise and he has stayed put in Glasgow as a result.

Still, it is quite curious why he was not in the squad photo. There are quite a few players who are struggling for playing time like McCarthy. But all of them were there.

Of course, it would be a mistake to come to any conclusions without knowing the circumstances. There might be a genuine reason why McCarthy could not be present on the day the photo was taken.

It is clear that McCarthy leaving in the near future would be the best thing for all parties. He is still just 32 years of age and might get more playing time elsewhere.