ADDRESSING CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS INJURY MISCONCEPTIONS
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Few would argue that Cameron Carter-Vickers is Celtic’s best central defender at the moment. Since joining us from Tottenham Hotspur the USA international has been a leader, a forceful presence and, on rare occasions, a rather spectacular goalscorer!
However, throughout his overwhelmingly successful time at Celtic thus far, one point of concern remains for Cameron Carter-Vickers: injury worries.
Are Cameron Carter-Vickers Injury Doubts Misplaced?
Now, football is a very physical game, especially for defenders. Injuries are common, and almost without exception every player will get “crocked” at some point in their career.
However, for Carter-Vickers, especially over the last 18 months or so there seem to have been a series of persistent, niggling injuries that have kept him out of the team for sporadic periods.
Some have speculated that his patchy recent injury record is one of the main reasons why Celtic have been able to hold onto such a prize asset for as long as they have.
However, I feel this is a bit unfair on the player. There have been numerous times, particular last season, where Carter-Vickers was, quite clearly, playing through the proverbial pain barrier. It speaks volumes to the paucity of defensive cover Celtic have that a 70% fit Carter-Vickers is still probably a better option at right-sided center back than anyone else who is 100% fit.
Though hopefully, if we do land at least one (ideally two) of the central defenders we’re currently linked with, that will no longer be the case.
Indeed, the concern around Carter-Vickers was only heightened over the past couple of weeks by two separate, yet inherently interconnected stories emerging from Celtic’s pre-season preparations.
First up, there’s the departure of Maik Nawrocki, to Hanover 96 in Germany. It’s only a loan move for now, but odds are he will do enough there during the course of next season to make it a permanent deal next summer.
Many fans regarded Nawrocki as Celtic’s second best central defender after Carter-Vickers. I’m not sure if I’d quite go that far, but there’s no denying that his departure makes it all the more crucial that Carter-Vickers stays fit, and that we bring in additional defensive options.
Next, there was the revelation, revealed last week, that Carter Vickers had undergone surgery at the end of last season. Now, the newspapers, as usual, did their best to blow this story up and paint a picture of a player set to spend most of next season on the treatment table.
Actually, the exact opposite is probably true. This wasn't surgery to treat an injury. It was a preventative measure. Celtic defined it as a “tidy-up” measure.
Again, this isn't uncommon, in a variety of sports. When athletes have a particular area that has given them persistent injury trouble over a period of time, a little invasive surgery can usually clear it up permanently.
Indeed, I actually experienced this a few years ago when I broke a finger playing basketball. The bones didn't reset properly, so I also had a “tidy up procedure”.
The fact I'm now happily typing away tells you it worked, though the metal pin in my finger, combined with my very Irish-sounding name does still create a problem at Heathrow security from time to time!
Anyway, back on topic. Carter-Vickers should, after this surgery, face less injury issues, rather than more in the season ahead. Truth be told, he should probably have had this procedure far sooner, but Celtic needed him, and couldn't afford to do without him in the team for the several weeks needed to recover.
Again, that’s a squad depth issue rather than a failing on the player’s part, in my opinion.
But to conclude, Cameron Carter-Vickers will, once again play an integral part in Celtic’s season ahead, and hopefully we’ll see a revitalized player, now these injury issues have been properly dealt with.
