Celtic’s goalless draw with Dundee United preserved Brendan Rodgers’ unbeaten start to the Scottish Premiership season.
The result means Rodgers has now visited every away ground in the league except Ibrox and dropped just two points on the road since the campaign kicked off in August.
However, with fixtures against Motherwell and St Johnstone looming before the first Glasgow Derby of the season, Rodgers will be hoping to have a full squad at his disposal soon.
After missing four key players at Tannadice, the Celtic manager provided an update on those sidelined, offering some optimism for their return.
Rodgers Provides Injury Update on Kuhn and Johnston
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Rodgers said:
“[The changes were] mostly due to illness and injuries. Cam and Austin have not been well in the week and haven’t picked up, so we’re hoping they’ll be okay for the next game but today, it was too much for them.
“We have Nicolas Kuhn who had a sore knee and hadn’t trained and he’d been out to give it a go. So just a little bit of pain, so he was obviously injured.
“And who else do we have? Alistair Johnston, just that issue that he had around his hip sort of flared up a little bit.
“So, yeah, he should be again okay for the next game, but not for today.”
The Importance of Johnston and Kuhn
The absence of Nicolas Kuhn and Alistair Johnston was keenly felt at Tannadice. The duo has been instrumental on Celtic’s right-hand side this season, forming a formidable partnership that drives much of the team’s attacking play.
Their combined output of 16 goals and 16 assists speaks volumes about their influence. Johnston’s defensive stability and creative contributions, paired with Kuhn’s attacking prowess, have made them key to Celtic’s success.
Without them, Celtic lacked the cutting edge needed to break down Dundee United’s stubborn defence. The players who stepped in struggled to replicate the quality and influence of Kuhn and Johnston, underscoring their importance to the squad.
Rodgers may look to address this lack of depth in the upcoming transfer window, something Celtic fans will no doubt be hoping for as the season progresses.
