There does not appear to be light at the end of the tunnel for Celtic at the moment. The Hoops start to the season was always made. But it can now be called terrible after what has transpired over the past week. Back-to-back defeats in the league have left them trailing Hearts by eight points. And although they did win against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, that game might have done more harm than good to their long-term chances.
Several first-team players were injured in that game. One of them was Cameron Carter-Vickers. He went to the ground and struggled to get back to his feet even after the final whistle had blown.
Celtic fans were left worried but even the most pessimistic of them would not have foreseen the extent of the issue. Carter-Vickers has picked up an Achilles injury and has had to undergo surgery.
The initial belief was that he could be out for as long as five months. That was a major blow to begin with. But now, there are fears that he could be out even longer than that.
Celtic player's injury worse than first thought, could miss World Cup
As reported by the Daily Record, Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Sunday that Carter-Vickers required an operation and that he could be sidelined for between three to five months. But the prognosis appears to be even more gloomy with the American international already sweating over his availability for the upcoming World Cup.
That means that there is a possibility that Carter-Vickers could be out for the rest of the season. That is a worrying thought. We saw how bad Celtic looked at the back without him in the game against Hearts.
Rodgers has also admitted that the combination of Liam Scales and Auston Trusty is not ideal, as both of them are left-footed. So, the club are in a world of problem right now and it is hard to think of a solution.