Celtic to pitch 19y/o into firing line after moon boot update as champions rocked by injuries

Manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that he will be without right-back Anthony Ralston, while left-back Kieran Tierney is touch and go. Both players were forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad due to their injuries.

Ralston is currently in a moon boot and with fellow right-back Alistair Johnston out for another two months with a hamstring tear, Celtic are likely to turn to teenager Colby Donovan to fill the void. The 19-year-old is a Scotland Under-21 internationalist and came on during the Champions League defeat by Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Asked to give an update on both Tierney and Ralston, Rodgers said: “Kieran's just got back in training. So that's good. So he knows he's having to step up his work. But he's obviously been out for eight or nine days. Tony, he's obviously unavailable and will be in a boot for a little bit longer. So, yeah, hopefully he'll be back in a little while.”

There is better news on striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who joined a free transfer earlier this month following his departure from Sevilla. The 28-year-old has not played a competitive match since coming off the bench for Nigeria in a 3-2 win over Jamaica at the end of May, but Rodgers expects him to play at part at Rugby Park.

"Yeah, he'll be available,” Rodgers said of Iheanacho. “It's the one thing with Kels, he was a player that trained every day and he was always available. And he has real special moments in games.

“I expect him, with the love he'll feel here and in the day-to-day work with the supporters, he can be a real exciting talent for us. And I really hope he does because he's got big qualities and he's a good guy.”