CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS will walk a World Cup tightrope when he lines up against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox visitors in the midday kick-off at Parkhead on Sunday.
Celtic’s rugged on-loan centre-back will be watched by USA assistant boss Anthony Hudson in the thick of the action of a Glasgow derby which could see him make a dramatic return to the squad in time for the Qatar extravaganza in November.
Carter-Vickers, 24, is due to return to parent club Spurs when his temporary transfer expires at the end of next month although moves have been made to make the £6million-rated defender’s stay at the Hoops permanent, as CQN reported.
I’M IN CHARGE…impressive centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers in control.
The powerhouse back-four performer has not represented the country of his father’s birth since June 2019 when he was a bit-part player in his eighth appearance against Jamaica. He came on 18 minutes from time in Washington in a game where the visitors claimed a late winner.
Southend-born Carter-Vickers has been a revelation since he agreed a last-gasp season-long loan deal on the August deadline day and has attracted attention from the likes of Leicester City, Wolves, Burnley and Bournemouth as well as his adopted nation.
USA head coach Gregg Bernhalter is looking ahead to the World Cup Finals with their Group B kick-off due on November 21.
Intriguingly, if Carter-Vickers convinces in Sunday’s noon encounter and gets the nod he could come up against Hoops team-mates Callum McGregor, Anthony Ralston, Greg Taylor, David Turnbull or James Forrest in the opener in the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium.
Steve Clarke’s men have still to negotiate their way past the Ukraine at Hampden in their rescheduled play-off semi-final on June 1 before hoping to face Wales in the in the Final.
The USA are also ready to play England on November 25 and complete their four-team section with a match against Iran four days later.
Bernhalter and Hudson are looking to arrange a player squad for the friendlies against Morocco on June 1 and Uruguay on the fifth before two CONCACAF Nations League games against Grenada at home on June 10 and away to El Salvador four days afterwards.
And then they will turn their attention to Qatar.
Carter-Vickers, meanwhile, will be concentrating all his energies for the arrival of Van Bronckhorst’s team as Celtic look for their third consecutive Premiership victory over their Glasgow rivals after triumphing 3-0 in the east end of Glasgow in February and 2-1 at Ibrox earlier this month where the defender claimed the winning goal.
