Camilo Duran is set to make a late dash to join the Celtic squad in Lisbon after the birth of his second child. Manager Martin O'Neill confirmed the forward missed the team's final training session in Glasgow but is expected to travel to Portugal ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Benfica.
Duran, the club's top scorer with four goals in eight Premiership appearances this season, remained at home with his partner Valentina Jaramillo for the delivery. O'Neill said the player was given permission to stay behind, unlike for the birth of their first child. "He should come out and join us," O'Neill told reporters. "It’ll be great to have him with us. His partner has had the baby so it’s brilliant." The manager indicated a final decision on Duran's involvement against Benfica would depend on the timing of his arrival, but sounded optimistic the 25-year-old would be available.
Defensive concerns for Celtic
O'Neill also provided an update on defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who will miss the trip to Lisbon with a hamstring strain. The USA international is likely to be sidelined for around ten days, ruling him out of the weekend's Premiership meeting with Hearts as well. "I would have concerns about Sunday," O'Neill said. "I think they are talking about another 10 days, in which we’ll probably have 15 games. He’s injured." The manager dismissed any suggestion of other reasons for the centre-back's absence, stating the injury was straightforward.
Squad boost as Trusty returns
In more positive news, Auston Trusty has returned to training and is available for selection in Portugal. The defender's return offers timely cover in central defence with Carter-Vickers unavailable. Celtic's defensive options will be tested against a Benfica side playing at home in the Estadio da Luz.
European context and recent form
The match carries significant weight for Celtic's European campaign. They opened their Europa League group with a 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros and have six games remaining to secure a place in the knockout stages next February. Domestically, the picture is brighter, with the team sitting first in the Premiership on 21 points from eight games, holding a two-point lead over Rangers. Their most recent result was a 2-0 win at Motherwell, where Duran opened the scoring in the ninth minute.
O'Neill emphasised the importance of progressing in Europe while maintaining their strong league form. The team's recent sequence of results has been mixed, with two wins and three losses in their last five matches across all competitions.
Celtic return to domestic action on Sunday, 18 October, with a home match against third-placed Heart of Midlothian. Before that, securing a positive result in Lisbon would provide a major boost to their European ambitions. The manager will finalise his team selection once Duran's travel plans are confirmed.
Read the full report at Daily Record Football
