Celtic

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Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers will play no part in the remainder of Celtic's season, interim manager Martin O'Neill has confirmed.

Winger Jota has not featured since the Parkhead side's Scottish Premiership title-clinching win at Dundee United in April last term.

Centre-back Carter-Vickers has been out of action with an Achilles injury since Celtic's Europa League win over Sturm Graz in October.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said at the time that the United States defender could be out for "anywhere between three and five months", but he will not play again this campaign.

Reports also suggest that on-loan Bournemouth right-back Julian Araujo could be facing up to eight weeks out.

O'Neill did, however, have positive news on striker Callum Osmand, who has been sidelined since Celtic's European defeat at Midtjylland in November.

"Jota and Carter-Vickers will not be available to us until next season," O'Neill told Celtic TV.

"Callum [Osmand] is doing really well. He's anxious to go and is working exceptionally well. Hopefully that won't be too far away."

O'Neill's side return to action after the international break when they travel to Dundee on Sunday (16:30 GMT).

Celtic's last outing also took place in Dundee, where they were beaten 2-0 by Dundee United at Tannadice.

With O'Neill's men sitting third in the table and five points behind leaders Hearts, the Celtic boss is hoping for a response against a challenging opponent.

"[Dundee] played exceptionally well against us in the [Scottish Cup]," he added. "They played very well and in a lot of subsequent games they've been well and truly in the picture.

"Whatever way they approach the game, you can't do anything about that. It's about how we approach it as much as anything else. We have to be as strong as them."

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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With reports suggesting Julian Araujo has been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a thigh injury, Celtic fans are fearing their season could unravel.

Martin O'Neill's side currently sit third in the Scottish Premiership after a defeat at Dundee United, with Rangers two points ahead and leaders Hearts five points clear.

News of the severity of the injury to Araujo, who has not played since the recent Scottish Cup win at Ibrox, has served as another blow during the international break.

With Alistair Johnston still working his way back to fitness after five months out, how damaging could Araujo's absence be?

Anthony Ralston or Colby Donovan would be tasked with filling the void until Johnston is ready, the latter having started in Celtic's past two games.

So how does Araujo compare to Ralston and Donovan?

Because of the difference in minutes played between the trio, we have crunched the numbers on a per-90-minute basis.

On the ball, Araujo shoots twice as often as both Ralston and Donovan. The Mexican also averages more dribbles and touches in the opposition box.

The on-loan Bournemouth man also averages far more passes in the final third, which helps explain why he creates more chances.

Donovan crosses far more frequently, however, and creates roughly the same number of open-play opportunities as Araujo.

But what about the defensive side?

Donovan wins more duels and aerial duels, and he has a far better tackle success rate.

Those impressive defensive numbers from the 19-year-old have helped Celtic concede fewer goals on average when he has played compared with when Araujo or Ralston have featured.

Japan forward Daizen Maeda, who came close to joining Wolfsburg from Celtic last summer, refused to talk about his future with the Scottish champions after the 28-year-old captained his country to a 1-0 win over Scotland. (Daily Record), external

Celtic loan right-back Julian Araujo has been ruled out for seven to eight weeks by injury and the 24-year-old Mexico international has returned to parent club Bournemouth for treatment to a thigh issue after missing the recent Scottish Premiership games against Motherwell and Dundee United. (The Herald), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti spoiled Haiti's preparations for their World Cup opener with Scotland by scoring Tunisia's winning goal in their friendly in Toronto.

Tounekti slotted the only goal of the game past goalkeeper Alexandre Pierre from the edge of the penalty box after a fine, defence-splitting pass from Ismaël Gharbi, the midfielder on loan to Augsburg from Braga, after only seven minutes.

The 23-year-old Celtic winger had a chance to add to his first-ever goal for his country seven minutes later but fired over from 15 yards.

Philadelphia Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques had Haiti's best chance shortly after, but his effort from close range was blocked at the near post by goalkeeper Sabri Ben Hessen.

Sayfallah Ltaief was denied by a near-post block from Haiti's Pierre after the break, while fellow forward substitute Hazem Nazon prodded over when through on goal.

However, Tunisia had to survive intense late pressure before Haiti's frustration was exacerbated when Jean Jacques was sent off for a second yellow card three minutes into stoppage time.

It was only Haiti's second defeat in seven outings.

Sebastien Migne's side next warm-up friendly is against Iceland, again at BMO Field in Toronto, on Tuesday, with Tunisia continuing their World Cup preparations against hosts Canada at the same venue the following day.

Celtic and Rangers, who were interested in Tyrese Campbell in 2020 as he was leaving Stoke City, enquired about the 26-year-old's availability in January and continue to keep tabs on the striker who is poised to enter the final year of his contract with Sheffield United. (Daily Record), external

Fares Ghedjemis remains on Celtic's radar, but they found Frosinone's demands too pricey in January and would still be required to pay a sizeable fee this summer despite the 23-year-old Algerian winger's agent suggesting he could leave the Serie B club. (Football Insider), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston says the most difficult part of adapting to life in Glasgow was coming to terms with being an A-list celebrity.

The 27-year-old Canada international joined the club in January 2023 from CF Montreal and has become a key member of the squad.

Having spent the entirety of his playing career in the US and Canada before his switch to Glasgow, Johnston says football wasn't the most difficult change.

"The people are great," he told TSN Sports.

"They love you. They are unbelievably abrasive as well. They see you in the street, they'll run across and give you a piece of their mind whether it's good, bad or indifferent.

"For me the football wasn't the biggest change. Playing in front of 60,000 people at Celtic park opens your eyes to how much football means but it was the off the pitch stuff.

"All of a sudden you can't just go for a walk. I was playing in Montreal the year before I went there [Celtic], playing for the national team, going to a World Cup but I could walk through the streets of Montreal with no issue. There'd be a billboard of me and the team and I could walk right by it and no one would bat an eye.

"In Glasgow you could have a hat on, sunglasses and people are still running up and grabbing you. It's a fishbowl. You are the A-list celebrity."

Celtic icon Shunsuke Nakamura is back in Glasgow for Japan's World Cup warm-up friendly with Scotland.

The 47-year-old former midfielder, who is working with Japanese TV for Saturday's game, clearly remains a popular figure and signed autographs outside Lesser Hampden on Friday.

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Steve Clarke would bring "wins and stability" to Celtic, says BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English, but would his "face fit"?

The Glasgow giants are on the hunt for a permanent manager this summer with former boss Martin O'Neill in charge of the side until the end of the season.

Clarke is due to depart the Scotland job after the World Cup, with no new contract offer currently on the table from the Scottish FA.

"One of the things that I have learned over my many years is never to second guess anything in Scottish football, especially this season," English told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Could it happen? Yes, it could. Would Celtic fans want it to happen? I don't want speak for them but certainly some of the Celtic fans I know have articulated the views that they wouldn't want to see Steve Clarke come in.

"They'd want to see somebody maybe a bit younger, a bit more European, in terms of their style of football, a bit more flamboyant. I'm not sure that that's necessarily what Celtic needs right now.

"What Celtic need is a lot of wins and a lot of stability. I think Clarke would give them that, but I'm not sure his face would fit there."

Celtic-linked Craig Bellamy has hinted he intends to stay on as Wales boss following their World Cup play-off exit. (Scottish Sun, external)

Pat Nevin believes there's a 'heartless' reason Scotland captain Andy Robertson won't get a dream move to Celtic this summer. (Liverpool Echo, external)

Frank McAvennie insists Celtic will need to heavily back their new manager in the transfer market. (Glasgow World, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic have been fined £13,000 by Uefa for fans throwing balls on to the pitch during the Europa League tie at home to Stuttgart last month.

The disruption shortly after kick-off caused a delay of more than three minutes in the knockout play-off first leg, which Celtic lost 4-1 before exiting the tournament 4-2 on aggregate.

It was the latest in a sequence of protests from Celtic fans this season against the club's board.

Interim manager Martin O'Neill criticised the first-leg disruption post match, saying: "Anyone who thinks that is a good idea needs their head examined."

Meanwhile, Stuttgart have been fined £19,500 by Uefa for "transmitting a message that is not fit for a sports event" during the second leg.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

As hopeless as Celtic were at Dundee United - and they really were - Martin O'Neill's robust rhetoric afterwards wasn't simply a show of defiance for its own sake.

He's adamant his side is still right in the race. With the home straight in sight, however, the Hoops are struggling to stay with the pace.

If it is to remain a three-way battle, O'Neill has been round the block enough times to know he simply can't afford to slip any further behind.

The next two games at Dundee and at home to St Mirren can be filed in the 'must-win' category. Should six points be gathered, O'Neill's bullishness could yet be well founded.

He wouldn't be one to throw in the towel at the best of times. The veteran manager, having lost league crowns in his first stint over 20 years ago by a single point in 2005 and a single goal in 2003, is acutely aware May madness will again decide the destination of Scottish football's top prize.

It's just that this season's mayhem, for the first time in decades, involves three teams.

As much as Tannadice could prove a sandy grave for Celtic's hopes if they don't improve markedly in response, O'Neill will know that if he can somehow stay within striking distance of the top two, they both have to come to Celtic Park in the final five fixtures.

Celtic are due to play three of their last five games at home. Leaders Hearts and second-place Rangers only have two on their own grounds, and three away.

With no clear 'form' team or runaway favourite, home advantage could be crucial when the tension ramps up further.

At the forefront of O'Neill's thoughts will be where to find the goals required to keep his side in contention. Kelechi Iheanacho, Daizen Maeda and Junior Adamu have all struggled.

Czech striker Tomas Cvancara has played 11 times since his loan move and netted only twice, although he has chipped in with a couple of important assists.

Given midfielder Benjamin Nygren is by a distance the club's top scorer and main goal threat, is there an argument to say he should be deployed as a false nine further forward?

The imminent return of Canada right-back Alastair Johnston will also come as a timely boost for the Celtic manager. Shoring up a defence that has shipped 34 Premiership goals, in a team that has already lost eight league games, is a key priority.

O'Neill has only lost two top-flight matches in his two interim spells. If he's to drag his side over the line, he knows losing another is no longer an option.

Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has been training with Japan at The Rock stadium in Dumbarton in preparation for his national side's friendly against Scotland.

Maeda could come up against a couple of clubmates - Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston - in Saturday evening's World Cup warm-up game at Hampden.

There is no place in the Japan squad for Reo Hatate, who has struggled for form this season, but Maeda is set for his 27th cap and will look to add to his four international goals.

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Bournemouth are happy to sell Julian Araujo, the 24-year-old right-back on loan to Celtic, this summer. (Football Insider), external

Fares Ghedjemis' agent says Frosinone could be prepared to sell the 23-year-old forward, who was pursued by Celtic in January, this summer despite planning to take up an option to extend his contract (TuttoMercatoWeb via Daily Record), external

Wolves are well-placed to beat Celtic and Rangers to the signing of 21-year-old Hacken midfielder Silas Andersen this summer. (Football Insider), external

Ferencvaros chief executive Pal Orosz has said head coach Robbie Keane, who has been linked with Celtic, would go with the club's blessing - if he got the Tottenham Hotspur job. (The National), external

Ferencvaros head coach Robbie Keane has been installed as the new favourite to be the Celtic manager ahead of Motherwell's Jens Berthel Askou by a leading UK bookmaker. (Football Insider), external

Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou says that, after shortlived spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, he will only accept a managerial role if it allows him to come on board at the start of pre-season. (Glasgow Times), external

Japan forward Daizen Maeda admits he cannot wait to face his Celtic teammates at Hampden this week on international duty against Scotland. (The National), external

Plans have been unveiled for a statue of Celtic legend Jim Craig in the Govan area of Glasgow. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Thirteen months have now passed since Celtic had their hearts broken in Munich - a gut-wrenching Champions League night, but one that was hoped to be the launchpad for an ambitious new era.

Little over a year later, the unthinkable prospect of the Parkhead club finishing third in their own domestic league is becoming more realistic with each week.

Poor recruitment on the pitch and in the dugout from an under-fire board has been the well-documented source of fury for a disgruntled fanbase.

But what do the numbers tell us about this galling 13-month decline?

Since exiting the Champions League to Bayern, Celtic have won just 54% of their matches over 90 minutes, suffering 16 defeats under Brendan Rodgers, Martin O'Neill and Wilfried Nancy.

Eight of those losses have come in the Scottish Premiership this season alone - more than in the past two campaigns put together and the first time since 1999-00 they have lost as many games in a league season.

In the failed bid to win a historic 10th successive title in 2020-21, Celtic lost five league matches. This term, they have lost more than Hearts and Rangers combined, three more than Motherwell and one more than Hibernian.

They would need to score 56 times in their final seven league fixtures to match last season's 112-goal tally. They are also 17 points worse off than they were after 31 matches and have shipped 14 more goals.

Yet, remarkably, they are still in with a shot at the title. Captain Callum McGregor says they need to win "at least five or six" of their final seven. Former striker Chris Sutton says they need to win them all. On current evidence, that seems unrealistic.

With games running out, the sobering thought for a club that posted cash reserves of almost £70m in December is that they could be closer to fourth than first by the time they next kick a ball.

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Celtic suffered their eighth defeat of the season at Tannadice on Sunday and dropped to third in the table, five points off leaders Hearts.

Injuries, fan unrest and managerial changes have all played their part in what has been a chaotic campaign for the reigning champions, who are in serious danger of losing their grasp on the title.

You'd have to go all the way back to the 1999-2000 season to find a season in which Celtic lost more games (nine).

Now, with seven matches of the title race to go, Martin O'Neill's side can ill afford to drop further points.

"I think you've kind of reached a point with Celtic now where almost regardless of the team selection you expect a really tough game for them," said Stephen McGowan, football writer with The Herald, on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Irrespective of who plays and irrespective of the [Tannadice] pitch, and there was much discussion about that as well, they are really struggling and making heavy weather out of their league campaign.

"I think it's one of these seasons where for Celtic it's almost a case of what's not going wrong? Form, injuries, poor recruitment, managerial issues - you have to go back to the days of John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish to find the last time Celtic lost this many games in a league season.

"They've lost more than Hearts and Rangers combined. They've lost more than either Hibernian or Motherwell. And the goal difference is none too clever either.

"Probably the most worrying aspect of it at Tannadice was the fact it really was quite a gutless performance. There was very little in terms of physicality or mental strength.

"You've seen Celtic come back and launch these kind of late gung-ho comebacks to save their bacon at times this season. There was no indication of that at all on Sunday. United were comfortably the better team, really deserving winners.

"They handled the conditions, they handled the circumstances better, and given that United are struggling to get into the top six and Celtic are going for a title, that has to be really worrying for Martin O'Neill and Celtic. "

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Midfielder Arne Engels "never made an issue" after January interest from Nottingham Forest came to nothing, says Celtic manager Martin O'Neill. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Tino
Fan writer

Seven.

A number steeped in Celtic history - immortalised by Henrik Larsson and Jimmy Johnstone and currently sported by modern-day hero, Jota.

Now, though, it carries a different kind of significance.

Seven is the number of games Celtic have left in this Scottish Premiership season. And in all likelihood, it's also the number we'll need to win if we are to retain the title.

Sunday's defeat to Dundee United was as shocking as it was deflating. It came off the back of a strong run under Martin O'Neill and has left Celtic third in a fiercely contested three-horse race.

In modern times, when have Celtic ever found themselves third in mid-March?

But then, this has been a season defined by firsts. And not the kind we would celebrate.

The first time we've gone through three managers in a single campaign. The first time a Celtic manager - Wilfried Nancy - has lost his opening four games. And surely the first time we've navigated a January transfer window without spending a penny, all while sitting on close to £70m in the bank.

As seasons go, it has been unprecedented - and not always for the right reasons.

But of course, there's one first that still matters above all others: finishing first in the Premiership table.

And that task now demands something extraordinary from O'Neill and his players.

Our longest winning run this season stands at five games, achieved during O'Neill's initial spell as interim boss. To have any chance now, that record will need to be surpassed - and under far greater pressure.

The questions are obvious.

Can Celtic rise to the occasion and rescue a title that, for some, is now looking increasingly out of reach?

Can they take maximum points from Hearts, Rangers et al, despite a season defined by inconsistency?

And having already lost eight league matches - another unwanted first this century - can they still go on to be crowned champions?

If they do, it would mark yet another unprecedented achievement in the three-points-for-a-win era.

And yet, in a season where the unexpected has become the norm, you wouldn't entirely rule it out.

Not this time. And not under O'Neill.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Celtic must be flawless in their remaining league games if they are to win the Premiership, says Chris Sutton, although the former striker has no confidence in his old side being able to achieve that.

Sunday's defeat at Dundee United consigned the Parkhead club to an eighth league loss of the campaign and means they are now five points off leaders Hearts, with seven rounds of fixtures to go.

Ex-Celtic forward Sutton now feels Martin O'Neill's men cannot afford to drop another point, but he has little faith in a team "lacking dreadfully in terms of creativity".

"What went wrong for them is what has gone wrong for large parts of the season," Sutton said of his former club's latest defeat.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, he added: "Compared to last season in all competitions, Celtic are 60 goals down. Think about that - that's a hell of a lot of goals.

"I don't know how they are going to score. Kelechi Iheanacho started against Dundee United. He didn't look fit. January signing Tomas Cvancara wasn't well but has been in and out of the team.

"Junior Adamu, another one of the loan signings, seems to be third, fourth, whatever choice for Martin. Every week it's like a lucky dip.

"They are just lacking in every department. It's no great surprise. I don't think Celtic can win the league - I've been consistent on that for a while. I've seen these results coming."

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Jorg Schmadtke has been sacked as Hannover sports director just 24 hours after he confirmed they will turn their loan deal for Celtic centre-half Maik Nawrocki into a permanent £2m transfer if they are promoted to the Bundesliga. (Herald - subscription required), external

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo admits he has been stunned at the improvement shown this season by Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun. (National - subscription required), external

Rangers are set to battle Celtic for the services of 25-year-old in-form Motherwell midfielder Elijah Just in the summer transfer window. (Football Insider), external

Tuesday's Scottish gossip