BOSS HOPES PARKHEAD INJURY LIST IS EASING

ANGE POSTECOGLOU is optimistic that his Parkhead casualty list will clear up by the time RB Leipzig come into view. The Celtic boss will be without injured trio Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Giorgos Giakoumakis as his side look to return to winning ways at home to Motherwell today. Starfelt and Carter-Vickers are still nursing knocks sustained before the international break, while the Greek striker returned from Nations League duty with a muscular issue. While all three key men will miss the Premiership clash, Postecoglou is hopeful that only Starfelt will still be absent for the pivotal Champions League trip to Germany on Wednesday. ‘There’s been nothing too bad from the internationals really,’ claimed Postecoglou. ‘Giakoumakis is the only one who has pulled up a bit sore. He will miss the Motherwell game but I’m confident that, after that, he shouldn’t be too far away. ‘All of the other ones like Starfelt and Carter-Vickers were injured prior to the break, and they will still be missing for Motherwell. ‘In terms of everyone else, they have all come back in good condition and they are ready to go.’ On the likelihood of all three returning for Leipzig, Postecoglou added: ‘Carl definitely not. He will still probably be a couple of weeks away. ‘Cameron is a kind of day-today proposition, so we’ll see how he is after the weekend.’ Injuries meant that Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz played in central defence last time out, only for Celtic to crash to their first league defeat in a year at St Mirren. Although defensive midfielder Oliver Abildgaard is an option at centre-back, Postecoglou is reluctant to hand the on-loan Dane his debut in that position.