Martin O'Neill has cast doubt on whether Kasper Schmeichel was entirely honest about the severity of his shoulder injury, admitting he was surprised by the extent of the problem that now threatens the goalkeeper's career.
The Celtic manager said only Schmeichel knows how forthright he was, but confirmed he was unaware of the seriousness until the 39-year-old revealed on American television that his career is in doubt. Schmeichel faces two operations and up to 12 months recovery, ruling him out of Denmark's World Cup campaign.
O'Neill acknowledged that Schmeichel had a shoulder issue earlier in the season but insisted he never believed it was career-threatening. “I never thought we were dealing with a career-threatening injury,” he said. He suggested that Schmeichel may have caused extra damage during training or matches without realising the consequences.
The manager also noted that he would have preferred to be informed before Schmeichel's public announcement, but refrained from criticising the player heavily. O'Neill praised his deputy Viljami Sinisalo, who has performed well in Schmeichel's absence, and stressed that hindsight is a valuable lesson in managing player fitness.
