Celtic loan signing Landon Emenalo has finally been cleared to play having arrived at the club with an injury. The 18-year-old, who can play as a left-back or midfielder, joined on the final day of the window but is yet to feature.
Emenalo joined as part of a double loan deal that also saw Shim Mheuka join on loan from Chelsea, and the young striker has been a regular off the bench.
There is some pressure on Emenalo to become a reliable deputy on the left due to Celtic being short on that side. Most felt as though the club needed to sign a proven back-up for the injury-prone Kieran Tierney, but they did not and ultimately settled for Emenalo.
Liam Scales is an option there, but it is not his natural position, and the same can be said of Jordan Lotomba, who came on for Tierney on Sunday but is naturally a right-back.
Celtic are likely to need Emenalo given Tierney's availability issues during his career, and they can now look forward to getting a good look at the youngster.
“It’s really an honour to be here, especially after all this time," Emenalo told STV.
“It felt good to train today and meet the guys. It’s a good group. So I can’t wait to get started.
“Obviously, I know Shim from Chelsea, so it’s nice to know someone here, but they’ve all welcomed me in, so it’s been pretty easy to join.
“Since he’s joined, I’ve been watching, been rooting for him, obviously. I think he’s done well, and I’ve known him since under-15s. Just looking out and seeing the stadium, it’s crazy. It’s about 60,000. I can’t wait to get out there and hear them.”
Emenalo is not part of the squad for Celtic's clash with Benfica on Thursday night, and the decision not to include him in the Europa League squad was a strange one given the lack of depth on the left.
Usually, young players can be included on the B list, meaning they don't count towards the main total, but to be eligible for the B list, players have to have played for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years.
As a loan signing, Emenalo doesn't qualify and would have to have been included in the main squad. That means he won't be able to play European football until January, when Celtic can resubmit their squad should they secure progression to the next round.
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