PAINFUL NEWS;Celtics fc goalkeeper breaks finger and is left to miss rest of the season

Kasper Schmeichel has captured the mood at Celtic perfectly in his latest Instagram post following their historic Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava.

The experienced goalkeeper shared training photos ahead of their upcoming League Cup match against Falkirk, using the caption “Getting ready for the Cup. Still smiling about Wednesday” to highlight his lingering joy from the midweek triumph.

This victory marked Celtic’s first-ever win in an opening Champions League match, a milestone that came in their 13th attempt. The emphatic 5-1 scoreline against Bratislava set a new tone for their European campaign, with goals from Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah rounding off a commanding performance. It was Celtic’s biggest Champions League win.

As Celtic shifts focus back to domestic challenges, they maintain high spirits, driven by the determination to reclaim the League Cup.

The Hoops made an early exit in the competition last year, defeated by Kilmarnock. It was the first cup loss which Brendan Rodgers was in the Celtic dugout for.

With Falkirk visiting Parkhead, the Hoops aim to leverage their current form to advance further in the competition while continuing to build on their European momentum.

It’ll likely be a heavily rotated team for Celtic, with Rodgers likely to give some stars a rest after Wednesday.

International boss Jesse Marsch has also hinted that he would like to see the defender move away from Scotland.

The former Leeds United boss commented last month: “There are some weeks when I watch Alistair and I think… the games are too easy for him. At some point, players do need to be challenged in a bigger way.”

But Johnston – who is contracted until 2029 – insists he is settled on Scottish shores with his fiancée Peyton Pesavento and dog Salem.