Celtic star ruled out for weeks in major blow to O’Neill ahead of Hearts clash.

Celtic have been handed another major injury setback ahead of their important Scottish Premiership meeting with Hearts, with manager Martin O’Neill confirming that Cameron Carter-Vickers will remain sidelined for several more matches.

The defender’s absence represents another concern for O’Neill as Celtic attempt to recover from a disappointing European result and return to winning ways domestically. The Hoops are preparing to face Hearts on Sunday after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to Benfica in the Europa League.

Celtic travelled to Lisbon hoping to secure their first points of the European campaign, but their hopes were damaged by a difficult opening half. Benfica established a commanding advantage before the interval, leaving O’Neill’s side with a huge task after the break.

Jhon Duran struck twice, while Alexander Bah also found the net as Benfica moved three goals ahead. Celtic improved considerably after half-time and created several opportunities, but their response ultimately proved insufficient to change the outcome.

Camilo Duran managed to pull one goal back shortly after the hour mark, giving Celtic some hope of a comeback. However, Vangelis Pavlidis scored late in the contest to restore Benfica’s three-goal advantage and complete the 4-1 victory.

Despite the scoreline, the statistics suggested that Celtic were more competitive than the final result indicated. Benfica recorded 22 shots compared with Celtic’s 13, while the hosts managed eight efforts on target against Celtic’s seven.

Possession was relatively close, with Benfica enjoying 53 per cent and Celtic recording 47 per cent. The Portuguese side also completed 515 passes compared with Celtic’s 504, while their passing accuracy was only slightly higher at 91 per cent compared with the visitors’ 90 per cent.

O’Neill was encouraged by the way his players responded following the interval. The Celtic manager admitted that the opening period had been difficult but felt his team showed character by improving significantly in the second half.

“It was tough. We conceded an early goal from a penalty kick. It put us on the back foot, particularly when we’d started actually quite brightly,” O’Neill explained.

The veteran manager pointed to the rapid sequence in which Celtic conceded their second goal as a particularly damaging moment.

“We’d forced a corner from them, and no sooner had that happened, then we were 2-0 down. We could have capitulated at half-time in the game at 3-0,” he said.

Instead, O’Neill felt Celtic responded positively after the interval.

“But I take encouragement from the second half performance. I thought we were brilliant,” he added.

The Celtic boss was also pleased with the number of opportunities his side created and praised the contribution of his substitutes. Although the result left Celtic without a point from their opening two Europa League fixtures, O’Neill remained confident that qualification for the knockout stage was still achievable.

Martin O’Neill confirms Cameron Carter-Vickers injury blow before Hearts

However, his immediate concern is the availability of his players for the demanding domestic schedule, and Carter-Vickers’ injury means Celtic will once again have to cope without one of their most important defenders.

The American centre-back was unavailable for the Benfica match after also sitting out last weekend’s 2-0 league victory over Motherwell. O’Neill had previously revealed that Carter-Vickers was dealing with a hamstring problem and suggested that he could require another ten days before returning.

The Celtic manager provided a further update before the Hearts fixture and made it clear that the defender would not be available for Sunday’s encounter.

“Cameron has got a bit of a strain, hamstring strain, so he’s missing,” O’Neill said after the Benfica defeat.

“I think they are talking about another ten days in which we’ll probably have 15 games!”

With Celtic facing a congested fixture schedule, Carter-Vickers’ absence is particularly inconvenient. The 28-year-old will also miss the upcoming Europa League encounter with Celta Vigo and could face a race against time to return for Celtic’s following league fixture away to Hibernian.

O’Neill was asked directly whether there was any chance of Carter-Vickers recovering in time to feature against Hearts. His response was clear.

“No, I don’t expect that. I think next week, the Hibs game, is the earliest we will probably see him,” the Celtic manager stated.

That timeline means Celtic will need to find another solution in central defence for at least the next two fixtures. The absence of Carter-Vickers is especially significant given the defensive problems Celtic experienced against Benfica.

Although the Hoops showed attacking intent and improved after half-time in Lisbon, conceding four goals highlighted the importance of defensive stability. Losing one of their most experienced centre-backs could make O’Neill’s task even more difficult as he attempts to keep Celtic competitive on multiple fronts.

Carter-Vickers has established himself as a key figure since arriving at Celtic from Tottenham Hotspur. His strength, experience and defensive consistency have made him an important part of the team, meaning his absence is likely to be keenly felt.

The timing is also significant because Celtic are entering an important period domestically. Hearts represent a major test, particularly with the Edinburgh club continuing to challenge the established Scottish football order.

Rangers are also competing strongly at the top end of the Premiership, increasing the pressure on Celtic to avoid dropping points.

O’Neill will therefore have to balance the need to protect Carter-Vickers during his recovery with the demands of a schedule that offers little opportunity for rest.

For now, Celtic supporters will have to wait until the Hibernian fixture before expecting to see Carter-Vickers back in action. The defender’s continued absence is a significant blow for O’Neill, who must quickly find a way to strengthen his defence while Celtic attempt to respond to their European disappointment.

With Hearts approaching and several important matches immediately ahead, Celtic’s squad depth will be tested once again.