Martin O'Neill has disclosed that Cameron Carter-Vickers has resumed light training, leaving the door open for the defender to feature for Celtic before the season concludes. The American international has been sidelined since October due to an Achilles injury, limiting him to just 13 appearances this campaign.
The severity of the issue had previously led O'Neill to rule Carter-Vickers out for the remainder of the season and the World Cup. However, the 28-year-old rejoined the squad for preparations ahead of Sunday's away fixture against Hibernian, prompting cautious optimism from his manager.
'Cameron trained with us today, or he was out there,' O'Neill explained. 'He only did a little bit, so I think it's the first time I've really seen him on the grass with the rest of the lads, which is great.'
'You'll know him better than me, he would want to play Sunday if he could. That's a distance away. He'll not be happy with me saying this, but I have to be guided by the physios and the medical staff. It's great to see him out there. He's been bursting to go, really. But he's a bit off.'
The former Tottenham Hotspur player is eager to help his teammates retain the league title and stake a claim for a spot in Mauricio Pochettino's United States squad as the nation prepares to co-host this summer's finals.
On the prospect of an unlikely Parkhead return within the next three weeks, O'Neill added: 'Knowing him, as [physio] Tim [Williamson] said to me, you wouldn't write anything off. But he just wants to not get excited from our viewpoint. Seeing someone out there doing a little bit of running is a totally different issue to getting ready for the games.'
Although O'Neill has been unable to select Carter-Vickers during his two spells in charge this season, he acknowledges the defender's positive influence within the group. 'He's been great, really great. He's attended all the meetings, he's in there,' said O'Neill. 'You can see why he's been a big figure here. He's in the dressing room with the players, he doesn't miss any of these meetings that we have in the mornings. He's there all the time. So, he's a big influence. The players look up to him, which is great.'
Meanwhile, Tomas Cvancara may have played his final game for Celtic as he faces potential surgery. The Czech forward has missed the last two match-day squads, with O'Neill initially suggesting he needed to do more to earn a place. However, the situation has evolved, with Cvancara's persistent groin issue possibly requiring an operation.
'He's got a bit of a groin strain,' said O'Neill. 'They're talking about the possibility of getting it seen to now. We'll have a look at that. When I say get it seen to, that might involve a small operation or something like that. But we don't know yet at this minute. He has to go for some more tests. If he had the operation, then you definitely wouldn't see him again. But I'd like the specialist to have another look at it.'
