CHRISTOPHER JULLIEN’S Celtic career is surely over.
That’s the only conclusion that can be drawn from the fact the French centre-back was overlooked for Ange Postecoglou’s matchday squad for the second successive Premiership game.
There was no sign of Jullien, who cost £7million when Neil Lennon signed him from Toulouse in June 2019, in the 3-1 triumph over Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday, despite Stephen Welsh dropping out after taking ill.
MAGIC MOMENT…Christopher Jullien’s Celtic career highlight as he scores the League Cup winner against Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox outfit at Hampden in December 2019.
Postecoglou opted to give on-loan Moritz Jenz a starting place in his line-up to cover for the former Scotland Under-21 stopper who scored the Hoops’ first goal of the season in the 2-0 win over Aberdeen the previous weekend.
Carl Starfelt, who was injured playing for his nation in the close season, was considered the best bet for the substitutes’ bench in the Highlands.
The Swede’s last first-team appearance was almost THREE MONTHS ago in the 6-0 win over Motherwell at Parkhead on May 14.
In the past 20 months, ‘Lost Bhoy’ Jullien has played a meage 16 minutes of competitive football after coming off the bench to replace Cameron Carter-Vickers in the 4-0 Scottish Cup home win over Championship outfit Raith Rovers on February 13 this year.
German centre-back Jenz arrived on his temporary switch from Ligue 1 side Lorient on July 19 and took his place among the substitutes for the opening-day fixture against the Dons 12 days later.
SEEING DOUBLE…Christopher Jullien rises high to score with a header against Kilmarnock in a 3-1 win at Rugby Park in January 2020 and (below) Moritz Jenz strikes an almost identical pose as he powers in an effort in the 3-1 victory over Ross County in Dingwall at the weekend.
He netted the second goal against Malky Mackay’s outfit after they had levelled following Kyogo Furuhashi’s opening strike. Liel Abada made certain in stoppage time.
Jullien, 29, is out of contract on May 31 2023 and will be allowed to negotiate with interested clubs to sign a pre-contract during the January transfer window.
Alternatively, he could move before the midnight August 31 deadline.
Jullien revealed he was “unsatisfied” at the lack of game time at the club, as CQN reported back in May.
He insisted he was “100 per cent” after his lengthy lay-off following his collision with a post making a goal-line clearance in the 3-0 league win over Dundee United at Parkhead on December 30 2020 and missed the rest of the ill-fated campaign following surgery on his left knee.
A BHOY ALONE…Christopher Jullien is on his own as the Legia Warsaw players celebrate a goal in the 2-2 draw in the Artur Boruc Testimonial Match in Poland last month.
The centre-back, who scored the League Cup winner over Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox outfit 12 months earlier, said: “Since mid-January, I feel 100 per cent, after that it is the choices of the coach.
“I’m unsatisfied with my playing time this season because it’s frustrating and all I want is to be on the pitch.”
Jullien, of course, saw a loan move to Bundesliga club 04 Schalke collapse last month when finances could not be agreed.
He figured in Postecoglou’s pre-season work-outs in Austria and played for an hour and scored in the 7-0 win over Third Division Wiener Viktoria in the opening game.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS…Ange Postecoglou, with subs Liel Abada and Aaron Mooy on the bench, makes an appeal during the 3-1 win over Malky Mackay’s men at the weekend.
Asked about the French star’s situation, Postecoglou, speaking last month, said: “That’s pretty much in Christopher’s hands. It’s about what he thinks is best for his own future.”
With Jullien, still the most expensive defender in Celtic’s history, dropping to fifth in the pecking order behind Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Welsh and Jenz the only solution is a move if he is pursuing game time.
That could be the end of this month, the turn of the year or next summer, but one thing appears certain – there is no future for the player at Parkhead.
