Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Hoops defenders Jozo Simunovic and Emilio Izaguirre are available to face Valencia on Thursday night.
The former was replaced at half time during Sunday’s big win over St Johnstone due to illness, while Izaguirre missed the game altogether.
However, Rodgers has now provided an update on them both: “Kieran Tierney has trained but won’t be available,” he said via the club’s official Twitter account. “Izaguirre and Simunovic are fit and available.”
Tierney has been out of action since mid December but has returned to training over the last week or so, although Thursday’s clash has come too soon for him.
?? BR on injuries: "Kieran Tierney has trained but won't be available. Izaguirre and Simunovic are fit and available." #CELVCF #UEL
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 13, 2019
OPINION
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first, shall we? It’s obviously hugely disappointing that Tierney won’t be fit to play on Thursday. The Scotland international is far and away the team’s best left back so to be without him is a devastating blow. However, it’s an expected one and one made easier by Izaguirre’s return to fitness. With Tierney out it was vital that the Honduran was able to play and, thankfully, that’s proved to be the case. Having Simunovic fit and ready to go is also a big boost to Brendan Rodgers’s side. He’s quietly had a very solid season at the heart of the Hoops defence and is now someone who the Northern Irishman leans heavily on. He’s been a first team regular lately and has done pretty well, so pairing him with the incomparable Dedryck Boyata does seem to be the recipe for success here. Whether it will be enough to secure a positive result for Celtic remains to be seen but it’s good that he’s ready to go anyway.