Christoffer Jullien: Celtic defender tipped for ‘struggle’ after ‘brilliant’ return – pundit
Celtic defender Christoffer Jullien will struggle for game time this season after returning from a long-term injury.
That’s according to former Hoops hitman Frank McAvennie, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after the defender’s return.
Jullien, 28, returned to action for the first time in 409 days after being brought on for the final 16 minutes of Celtic’s win over Raith Rovers on Sunday (13 February).
According to the defender’s own Twitter account, his return marked 409 days since his last appearance at Parkhead.
McAvennie is delighted to see Jullien back but predicts he won’t get much game time this season.
“He got a few minutes in the tank, which is brilliant,” McAvennie told Football Insider correspondent Ben Wild.
“It might be a while before he is up to where he was before he got injured.
“The worry I have is that every game is so big for us now. We want to win the league and the cup as well as make a good fist of Europe.
“Every game is important now and the boys who have been in there have been great.
“So it’s a bit of risk to throw Jullien in there straight away. I think he might struggle for minutes. What he is, is another option.
“That’s great, I keep banging on about it because we have had no depth for ages.
“Now we have a bit more and it’s come just at the right time.”
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt have started at centre-back in the majority of Celtic’s games this season.
Steven Walsh and Liam Scales have also filled in on occasion.
In other news, Kieran Maguire predicts Celtic could rake it in from “tectonic shift” in European football.