Medial insider: Aaron Mooy may not be fit for ‘three months’ amid Celtic latest
It may take up to three months before Celtic signing Aaron Mooy reaches peak fitness and is able to perform consistently for his new club.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Celtic announced the capture of Mooy, 31, on a two-year deal last Tuesday (19 July).
The former Huddersfield Town and Brighton playmaker has spent the last two years with Chinese side Shanghai Port.
But Covid shutdown and his desire to continue playing for the Australian national team led Mooy play just 31 times in total during that period.
Celtic played 60 times in 2021-22 alone.
Dinnery explains that it may take Mooy some time to re-adapt to the rigours of regular football.
โItโs going to be difficult,โ he told Football Insiderโs Adam Williams.
โHis last five appearances have all been for Australia. He hasnโt played domestically since January.
โHe is a guy who, from the outside, looks like he keeps himself relatively fit. But over the last four years, he has averaged only around 1000 minutes of football per season.
โTo transition from that to being expected to play two or three times per week for Celtic, itโs unrealistic initially. If you want to perform optimally and stay fully fit, you donโt want to throw him in.
โFatigue is one the biggest risk factors. He will be managed very carefully and it could take two or three months before he is able to consistently perform.โ
In other news, Celtic idol issues โwin-winโ verdict after Stephen Welsh transfer update via Sky