Martin O’Neill Clarifies Callum McGregor Fitness Following St Mirren Substitution
Celtic captain Callum McGregor experienced a rare substitution during the recent 1-0 victory over St Mirren. The midfield anchor has been a constant fixture in the starting lineup since returning from a calf strain in March. Although that injury only kept him out for two matches, his early withdrawal raised concerns that the lingering issue might still be affecting him.
Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill quickly moved to clarify the situation following the final whistle. He confirmed that McGregor had been dealing with a minor problem leading up to the fixture but insisted on taking the pitch.
“Callum McGregor had a bit of a problem during the week but wanted to play,” O’Neill explained. “I am delighted that he did and he really did not feel any worse than before.”
The manager stressed the importance of having his captain available and praised the overall defensive effort of the team to secure the narrow win, which came courtesy of an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal. O’Neill also provided a positive outlook for McGregor’s availability ahead of their crucial semi-final clash next week.
“I think now a few days off for him, I think he will be ready,” O’Neill added. He noted that getting through the match psychologically was a massive boost for the player. The interim boss made it clear that Celtic were not simply resting players for the cup tie, emphasizing that McGregor started purely because he felt ready and eager to contribute to the league campaign.
This recent spell of injury management is highly unusual for McGregor. Over the past eight seasons, he has established himself as the absolute definition of a squad mainstay. Before his calf issue last month, the skipper had not missed a single match and had started all but one game this season.
His reputation for physical durability is legendary among the Celtic support. During the 218 to 2019 season, a 25-year-old McGregor accumulated an astonishing 5,849 minutes on the pitch, which was the highest total of any player in world football at the time. Fans will now be hoping that a brief rest will return their iron man captain to his robust best for the crucial title run.