Jahmai Simpson-Pusey has finally made his Celtic debut, but not for the first team. The Manchester City loanee featured for Celtic B on Friday night as he continues to build up match sharpness.
The highly-rated centre-back joined the Hoops on a season-long loan from City in August, arriving with a glowing reputation after being crowned Premier League 2 Player of the Year. Expectations were that he would push Liam Scales for minutes in Brendan Rodgers’ first team.
However, Simpson-Pusey has yet to feature in a senior match and is instead getting minutes with the B team, who faced East Fife in the Challenge Cup. The 21-year-old played the full 90 minutes as the young Hoops were beaten 5-3, a match that also saw Callum Osmand, another summer signing, start up front.
Despite the slow start to life in Glasgow, CeltsAreHere understands that Manchester City are not planning to recall Simpson-Pusey in January, though his situation will be reassessed over the Christmas period. For now, it seems the focus is on building fitness and adapting to the new environment.
Celtic fans will be hoping he can kick on and offer depth in the heart of defence, especially as the fixture list intensifies after the international break.
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