Celtic have suffered a major setback after manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Cameron Carter-Vickers could be sidelined until March with a serious Achilles injury.
The American defender completed the full 90 minutes in Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League win over Sturm Graz, but concern quickly grew when he went down late in the game clutching his leg. After post-match treatment, further assessments revealed the extent of the issue.
Rodgers delivered the grim update on Friday, saying:
“He looks like he’s done his Achilles, which can be anywhere between three and five months. We’re just waiting for confirmation, but it’s not great news. Cam’s been a key part of this team — a fantastic centre-half for the club. Still, it opens the door for others, and Liam Scales has really stepped up in my time here.”
The injury is a huge blow for both Celtic and Carter-Vickers, who has been one of the club’s most consistent performers since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, racking up 172 appearances across all competitions.
This season alone, the 27-year-old has played 13 of Celtic’s 15 matches, clocking over 1,200 minutes — the fourth-highest total in the squad. If sidelined for three months, he is expected to miss around 21 matches, including 15 Premiership fixtures, as well as key games in the Europa League and domestic cups. Should his recovery extend to five months, that number could rise above 30.
In the short term, Carter-Vickers will miss Celtic’s title clash with Hearts this weekend and the Old Firm semi-final against Rangers in the League Cup on November 2. He will also sit out all of the club’s remaining Europa League group matches against Midtjylland, Feyenoord, Roma, Bologna, and Utrecht.
As for replacements, Liam Scales looks the natural choice to fill the void, having already logged the most minutes of any Celtic defender this season. Other available centre-backs include Auston Trusty, Dane Murray, Hayato Inamura, and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, though none have established themselves as regular starters.
Trusty is still regaining fitness, Murray lacks top-level experience, and Inamura — a summer signing from Albirex Niigata — has struggled to break into the first team. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Simpson-Pusey, on loan from Manchester City, is yet to feature for the senior side.
Carter-Vickers’ injury represents one of Celtic’s most significant blows of the season, with Rodgers now tasked with reorganising his defence as the club navigates a demanding fixture list across multiple competitions.
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