Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Julian Araujo did not travel with the Celtic squad to Germany ahead of Thursday’s Europa League play-off second leg against VfB Stuttgart.
Celtic go into the match trailing 4–1 from last week’s defeat at Parkhead and face a huge challenge to overturn the deficit against a Stuttgart side expected to field a full-strength team as they aim to seal progression.
Speaking before departure, O’Neill revealed that Araujo was the only fit and available player left behind, effectively ruling the right-back out of the 17:45 kick-off. His absence leaves the manager short of options on the flank, with Anthony Ralston or Colby Donovan likely candidates to step in against Bundesliga opposition.
Araujo has been one of Celtic’s standout performers since joining on loan in January, and his unavailability represents another setback on a night where O’Neill’s side require close to a flawless display to keep their European hopes alive.
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