Celtic could be without FOUR key players for their clash with Rangers at Hamdpen next week.
Jota, Reo Hatate, Liel Abada and James Forrest will all miss today's final Premiership clash before the league split with Motherwell as the race to be fit for next weekend's Scottish Cup semi-final with Michael Beale and his troops begins.
Star man Jota was left out of last weekend's thumping win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park alongside key defender Cameron Carter-Vickers. The USA international has been training and WILL play at Parkhead with the only reason he didn't feature last time out due to the artificial surface. Talk had been a potential premature end to his season due to needing surgery with Postecoglou remaining coy admitting 'I can't predict the future'. But he has confirmed he will face Rangers next week if he gets through today unscathed.
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The quartet missing out in Glasgow's east end today have not had a full week of training under their belts with the Aussie confirming they are close but they will be monitored closely next week before any decision is made on featuring at the national stadium.
He said: “Jota, Reo, James and Liel, haven’t had a full week of training and won’t feature.
“They are close but we will wait for them to get more training in before putting them back in. They are all back training now and we will see how they go after the weekend.”
On Carter-Vickers, the Celtic boss added: “He’s fine. He trained last week, he trained all this week and he will play against Motherwell.
“The only reason he didn’t play at Kilmarnock was the pitch, which I had mentioned. He didn’t recover too well the last time we played on the artificial surface, so we left him out.
“But he’s been training and will play. That’s where it begins and ends. I can’t predict the future. If he gets through tomorrow he’ll play next week. That’s how it is.”
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