Kieran Devlin has revealed that Celtic summer signing James McCarthy has been struggling with the intensity of Ange Postecoglou’s Lennoxtown training sessions.
The Lowdown: McCarthy pens four-year deal
McCarthy was one of 12 arrivals at Parkhead over the summer, penning a four-year deal at the beginning of August.
Since then, the 30-year-old has made just one Scottish Premiership appearance, coming on as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Ross County last weekend.
He’s also featured in the Europa League and the League Cup for Celtic, but it seems as if he isn’t settling into life under Postecoglou as many would’ve hoped.
The Latest: Devlin’s claim
Devlin was running a Q&A on The Athletic before the Hoops’ Europa League opener against Real Betis.
He was asked who he thought would replace captain Callum McGregor out of McCarthy and Ismaila Soro, to which he said:
“Think Soro most likely but could be McCarthy. Been told McCarthy has struggled slightly with the pace and intensity of the training sessions as well, but hopefully that is just down to fitness/rustiness rather than a permanent issue.
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The Verdict: Next few months key
As Devlin mentions, McCarthy’s struggles are hopefully due to a fitness issue rather than a long-term problem.
The Irishman started just four of Crystal Palace’s final 17 Premier League games last season and also went a few months as a free agent.
The next few months should give a better indication of where McCarthy fits in Postecoglou’s squad, but at this moment in time, he’s not making positive progress at Parkhead.
In other news: CEO at Europa League side tipped as possible McKay replacement at Celtic.
