Celtic fans will be happy to see Kieran Tierney back in action for Arsenal after another injury-hit period for the player.
The 27-year-old suffered a hamstring injury for Scotland at Euro 2024 in the summer and is now waiting to earn his first minutes of the season.
There was talk of Tierney returning to Celtic in the summer, with Brendan Rodgers looking for added quality at left-back.
The champions did bring in a left-sided fullback – youngster Alex Valle joined from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal to challenge regular starter Greg Taylor for minutes.
You assume, talk of Celtic needing a left-back will reignite in the summer when Valle returns to his parent club and you suspect Tierney will be top of the agenda again.
That’s interesting considering his current situation with Arsenal and Mikel Arteta’s comments on the player ahead of their Champions League clash against Monaco on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta says Kieran Tierney has ‘earned’ the chance to play for Arsenal
There are a host of players ahead of Tierney in the left-back pecking order: Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all been deployed in that role during the past 12 months.
Celtic fans should be happy with that because it opens the door for Tierney to leave, especially given that he was loaned out to Real Sociedad last season.
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But, in typical Tierney fashion, his actions have left Arteta with no choice but to hand him chances, as he explained in his pre-match press conference to Sky Sports.
(L-R) Josh Robinson, Jimi Gower and Kieran Tierney of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 training and press conferen...
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
“He is going to have an opportunity, for sure, with the way the team is looking, at the moment,” said Arteta.
“He is going to do that, for that reason, because he has earned it as well for the way he has behaved. The way he has been with us. He is willing to do it. When that happens, you have to give opportunities to those kind of players.”
Alex Valle’s situation at Celtic
If Celtic fans think Valle will stay on beyond this season or he will sign for good, then they can think again because there are already noises about the player.
With the January transfer window around the corner, there have been suggestions that Barcelona will look to recall Valle.
Rodgers reacted to the rumours last month and made it clear that he hasn’t heard anything, but with the progress Valle is making at Celtic and Barca’s lack of depth at left-back, then you can see the youngster being a squad member at the Nou Camp next season.
“Not that I’m aware of, no,” responded Rodgers on Valle’s loan possibly being cut short. “Nobody has told me any different.
“I suppose we are getting close to the stage where rumours and gossip and everything kicks in leading into January.
“I know that Alex has really enjoyed his time here, and both on and off the pitch, he’s obviously a very important player for us. So, we wouldn’t want to lose him. “I think the experience that he’s getting here, both in the Champions League and domestic football, he’s really enjoying his time here.”
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