CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS has been missing twice when Celtic needed him most in the Champions League this season.
Injury has robbed Brendan Rodgers of the opportunity to select the Hoops defensive rock for the matches in Dortmund and the Midlands – and the subsequent results have been painful.
The nearest Carter-Vickers got to the action was a place in the stand at the Westfalenstadion in October as the roof fell in on Kasper Schmeichel in a 7-1 collapse against Borussia in the second match in the elite competition following the 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava at Parkhead the previous month.
ME AND MY SHADOW…Cameron Carter-Vickers on the ball with Kasper Schmeichel in the background.
Unfortunately, it was an identical situation when Aston Villa thumped four past the legendary Danish keeper – two in the opening five minutes – as the team suffered a 4-2 reverse across the border.
Auston Trusty and Liam Scales stepped up to the breach on both occasions, but the commanding authority of the USA international was clearly missing.
To be fair to the Pennsylvanian and the Dubliner, they were also paired in the absence of the stand-in club captain in Bergamo where the visitors managed to eke out a goalless draw with Europa League holders Atalanta only three weeks after the debacle in Dortmund.
There can be no argument Carter-Vickers has been on the big dipper in football’s most prestigious competition this term, ranging from being replaced by Scales in the 74th minute in the 3-1 win over RB Leipzig on November 5 to his horrendous own goal to gift Club Brugge the opening goal in the 1-1 draw at the same venue three weeks later.
The ex-Spurs man, bought for £6million in the summer of 2022 after his impressive one-year loan, missed out on Saturday’s 5-0 Scottish Cup victory over Raith Rovers with Scales and Dane Murray, making his domestic debut after three Euro appearances, teamed up in the middle of the rearguard.
BRING IT ON…Cameron Carter-Vickers, third left between Auston Trusty and Paulo Bernardo, is ready for action before the scoreless stalemate against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia in December.
Former Hoops goal hero Chris Sutton hopes the rugged, no-frills defender is in place tomorrow night and said: “Celtic need everyone available fit and firing – especially Cameron Carter-Vickers.
“I’ve heard some fans suggesting the American has Champions League-itis, because of the amount of European games he’s missed.
“That’s grossly unfair. We know Carter-Vickers has had some injury issues, but he’s a guy who constantly plays through the pain barrier. He won’t want to miss this one.
“I hope he doesn’t, because I tend to get a bit worried when he’s not around for these types of matches.”
Sutton, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Carter-Vickers will be vital to cope with his old Spurs team-mate Harry Kane, for a start.
“There’s no doubt the England captain will be the major danger.
“Everyone knows he’s a lethal finisher, but he’s a clever player who can drop dead and drag defenders all over the place.
“Kane’s also not shy when it comes to hitting the deck in the penalty area, too, something Celtic will need to be mindful about.”
OOPS…Cameron Carter-Vickers can’t hide his emotions after his own goal blunder against Club Brugge.
The one-time England international forward added: “It could be a tough night and I didn’t quite see the Villa Park display as tight a contest as some. Celtic did well to get back in the game, but it really could have ended up five or six on the night.
“That’s a worry for the Bayern game, but they should perhaps look to Villa’s display when they beat the Germans earlier in the competition.
“They were compact and resolute at the back, they sucked Bayern in and then hit them on the break.
“That might be the way to get a result this week to take to the Allianz Arena for the second leg.”
And everyone of a Celtic persuasion will be hoping Carter-Vickers is in place to play his part.
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