Blow for Celtic as senior man set for spell on sidelines – report
By Matt Farr
Celtic goalkeeper Dorus de Vries is set to undergo surgery in a bid to cure his recurring injury problems, according to a report.
The Daily Express claim that the 36-year-old goalkeeper will go under the knife during the upcoming international break.
De Vries has been plagued by a series of niggling injuries throughout his career at the Scottish club, with his foot and ankle repeat offenders.
His pending absence could have an big impact on Brendan Rodgers’ first team selection in the coming weeks, with a new deputy stopper like to be needed as cover for No.1 Craig Gordon.
The Dutchman’s unavailability is likely to see Rodgers recall Logan Bailly to the Celtic squad, who has been frozen out in Glasgow.
However, Celtic have taken measures to ensure that De Vries does not miss too many games by scheduling the operation during the international break later this month.
But it is yet unclear how long the former Swansea goalkeeper could be sidelined for, or if the operation will be successful in curing his long-term injury woes.
De Vries has made just five appearances for Celtic in all competitions this term, and has not made a first team appearance since the win over Kilmarnock on September 24.
He has since fallen behind Gordon in the pecking order, with the Scot making life very difficult for him to win his place back.
After working alongside Rodgers at Swansea, De Vries was reunited with the Celtic chief last summer following his move from Nottingham Forest.
In other Celtic team news, Everton fans want the club to sign this Hoops star after Romelu Lukaku’s reported contract snub.
We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Celtic breaking news.