CELTIC defensive rock Cameron Carter-Vickers is OUT of the Premiership clash against St Johnstone in Perth tomorrow night.
And a concerned Brendan Rodgers cannot offer any guarantees the centre-back will be fit for the crucial Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday evening.
Carter-Vickers was a no-show last weekend as the Hoops overcame Falkirk 5-2 in the Premier Sports League Cup win at Parkhead.
The cornerstone of the team’s back four was rested which allowed his fellow-USA international Auston Trusty the opportunity to make his first start following his £6million arrival from Sheffield United on transfer deadline day.
TOWER OF STRENGTH…Cameron Carter-Vickers clears from St Mirren striker Toyosi Olusanya in the champions’ 3-0 win in Paisley last month.
Rodgers said: “Cameron will miss tomorrow. He has got a pain on his big toe at the joint, so we just need to look at that for every game.
“He has been playing with it for a little while, but we have got to try and manage it because he was in pain during the Slovan Bratislava game.
“Hopefully, it will settle down for Tuesday.”
Quizzed on a timeline for the return of the reliable operator, Rodgers, speaking to the Daily Record, answered: “It’s difficult to tell.
“The focus is on this game and we will see where we are Sunday/Monday.”
Carter-Vickers came off late in the team’s 5-1 success over the Slovaks and was rested against John McGlynn’s Championship pacesetters. Liam Scales was also given the day off, but the Republic of Ireland star is expected to be back in his usual place at McDiarmid Park.
Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki also figured in the League Cup win over Falkirk and they will be in the running for an appearance tomorrow along with Trusty.
