Long-term injuries carry even more sadness in a World Cup year, and USMNT center back Cameron Carter-Vickers is the latest to see his tournament hopes take a hit.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says Carter-Vickers is set to miss between 3-5 months with an Achilles injury.
MORE — Upcoming USMNT schedule
“He looks like he’s done his Achilles, which could be anywhere between three and five months,” Rodgers said, via Sky Sports. “We just await confirmation of that. It’s not great news.”
This is a huge miss for Celtic, and a sad and massive challenge to Carter-Vickers’ national team plans.
Cameron Carter-Vickers injury threatens Celtic
Carter-Vickers, 27, is a mainstay in Celtic’s back line and a three-time PFA Scotland Team of the Year member, but has struggled to assert himself in Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup plans for the USMNT.
He has 19 caps but has only been called up twice since July 2024, playing 90 minutes against Canada in March and serving as an unused sub in friendlies against Ecuador and Australia earlier this month.
Carter-Vickers has gone 90 minutes 12 times and 120 minutes once for Celtic this season, missing just two games. He’s a force for the Bhoys and will be a huge miss as they look to win their 14th Scottish title in 15 seasons while making a run in the Europa League.
The best news, of course, would be further tests showing Carter-Vickers won’t need as long to recover, restoring hopes for his World Cup and giving Celtic a huge boost. There is a silver lining for the USMNT as Auston Trusty should be in line for more minutes at Celtic but Pochettino has not exactly shown a huge deal of respect for the Scottish top flight given how hard it’s been for Carter-Vickers to get playing time despite monstrous seasons in Glasgow.
