Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has suggested that his side will soon receive a major defensive boost, with long-term absentee Christopher Jullien close to a return.
Celtic invested heavily in Jullien, signing him from French club Toulouse in the summer of 2019 for a reported £7m.
While he took some time to adjust to the physicality of the Premiership, he would go on to be an important player for the Hoops that season, scoring the winning goal in the League Cup Final.
He’s struggled badly with injury since then, though.
He only made 14 appearances across all competitions last season and is yet to feature this campaign.
Postecoglou suggests injury boost imminent
However, he’s been back in training for some time now and according to Postecoglou, his return to action is imminent.
“He’s working hard and we’re continuing to build him up so he’ll get an opportunity in the next few weeks,” said the Celtic manager, as quoted by The Scotsman.
“Then we’ll see how it goes.”
Jullien update great news for Celtic
It’s a big boost for Celtic, who haven’t found clean sheets that easy to come by this season, especially in Europe.
At 6ft 5″, Jullien is an imposing centre-back who’s effective in the air in both boxes.
It will likely take him some time to get back to his best levels, but a Scottish Cup tie against League One side Alloa Athletic next weekend could be the perfect opportunity to ease him back in.
With Jota also primed to return from injury and several new signings already in the door, Postecoglou’s squad looks in decent order.
But they have a six-point deficit to overturn in the league and Rangers ended 2021 in outstanding form.
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