NEW Bhoy Gustaf Lagerbiekle is on course for a quickfire Celtic, as CQN forecast at the beginning of the week.
Brendan Rodgers is poised to give the green light for the 23-year-old centre-back to face Kilmarnock in the Viaplay League Cup at Rugby Park on Sunday.
Lagerbiekle was officially unveiled as the club’s sixth summer signing in midweek and the £3million recruit from Elfsborg has been named in the squad for the first defence of the silverware the Hoops won on February in a 2-1 victory over Ibrox opposition.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, who suffered a hamstring injury and was taken off at the interval in the 3-1 triumph over Aberdeen at Pittodrie at the weekend, is OUT of the tie against Derek McInnes’ outfit.
GREEN FOR GO…Gustaf Lagerbiekle is poised for a quickfire Celtic debut.
And Stephen Welsh, who replaced the USA World Cup defender against the Dons, has also been sidelined after sustaining a knock.
Liam Scales didn’t figure in the match day squad at Pittodrie while there is no place in Rodgers’ immediate plans for Japanese centre-half Yuki Kobyashi, signed in January from Vissel Kobe. That cuts down the manager’s options with Maik Nawrocki, the £4.3million recruit from Legia Warsaw last month, a certainty to play on the plastic pitch.
That leaves the door open for Lagerbiekle and Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, admitted: “When we lost Carl [Starfelt], who was an excellent servant for the club, it was important we quickly got someone in.
“Gustaf’s a highly-rated young player and we’re looking forward to seeing him play. He’s been playing so, fitness-wise, he’s fine.”
The Irishman also confirmed Carter-Vickers and Welsh were not available and, of course, Reo Hatate could be forced onto the sidelines for a month with his calf problem that saw him removed after 25 minutes of action in the north east.
On the plus side, Alistair Johnston has returned to training after missing the start of the campaign, but it will be some time before the Canadian international defender is back in contention for a first-team place.
