CALLUM MCGREGOR is irreplaceable for Celtic according to manager Ange Postecoglou, as the Celtic captain anxiously awaits news on the projected timescale of his recovery from the knee injury sustained in the Champions League loss to RB Leipzig on Wednesday night.
McGregor visited a specialist on Friday morning in an attempt to uncover the extent of the damage his knee suffered in Germany, so all Postecoglou has been able to confirm so far is that it will not be a short-term lay-off for his skipper.
Oliver Abildgaard was the man who came on to replace McGregor during the week, but Postecoglou recognises that the loss of his influence both on and off the field and his ability on the pitch will be keenly felt by his team.
"Well, you can't replace him because he's been here for 10 years,” Postecoglou said.
"It's not a matter of replacing him, it's about finding solutions within the group to fill the gaps.
"That might be one person, that might be two or three people in terms of the leadership. It's an opportunity for others to step up now and step into the breach.
"Ultimately, there's a reason why Callum is the captain. He's also a fantastic captain and those types aren't easy to replace.
"It's disappointing to lose Callum. It's not just what he brings to the team in his performances, which is pretty significant for the team and how we want to play. But there is also what he offers us in terms of leadership and general influence around the place.
"It is what it is. We need to deal with it. We missed him for a few games last season as well and we are going to have to cope with it, and continue our progress until he comes back.
"Callum is disappointed but we are just waiting to see what the actual situation is with the injury. He is as anxious as anyone to find out what the recovery process is.
“It’s obviously not short-term but we are hoping it’s not too long term. I don't have that info. I'm not going to worry about stuff I can't control.
“I will wait and see what the doctors say.”
