Old Firm rivals Celtic have been rocked by the news that £14m defensive pair Cameron Carter Vickers and Maik Nawrocki will miss their upcoming trip to Rangers.
According to the Scottish Sun, the Parkhead side are facing something of a defensive crisis heading into the match with Stephen Welsh also set to be ruled out.
Number one centre-back option Cameron Carter Vickers – who could cost Celtic up to £10m after signing permanently from Tottenham last season – faces an extended period out with a hamstring issue sustained against Aberdeen last weekend.
The Scottish Sun report also claims that new £4m signing and Polish international Maik Nawrocki is set to miss the crunch Premiership clash with a hamstring complaint of his own.
The centre-back is reportedly ruled out of the Rangers match after suffering a hamstring issue at the end of the Parkhead club’s 1-0 League Cup defeat to Kilmarnock over the weekend.
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Stephen Welsh, who has recently signed a new Celtic contract, is also set to miss the trip to Rangers after rupturing his ankle ligaments before the ink could dry on the deal.
Japanese centre-back Yuki Kobayashi – who was given the run around during Rangers’ 3-0 victory over Celtic at Ibrox at the end of last season – is also not yet fully fit after a pre-season injury
The Parkhead side will now turn to new £3m Swedish signing Gustaf Lagerbielke – who is set for an Old Firm baptism of fire at Rangers – and former Aberdeen loanee Liam Scales.
The injury reports come after the Parkhead side refused their Old Firm ticket allocation for the clash with Rangers on September 2nd.
It means that the 700 Celtic fans who would’ve occupied the seats won’t be the only people in green and white who won’t be in attendance at Ibrox.
Whilst Rangers fans will take news of Cameron Carter Vickers and Maik Nawrocki’s absence with a pinch of salt, the pressure is certainly rising on Celtic ahead of their Old Firm trip to Ibrox.