Celtic manager Martin O'Neill is concerned about midfielder Mika Baur's ankle injury, sustained late in the team's 1-0 victory against Kilmarnock. Baur was forced off the field in distress following a tackle from Kilmarnock's Aaron Tshibola.
The win allowed Celtic to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the Premiership, with Liam Scales scoring the decisive goal in the first half. Baur, who joined the club in the summer, has been a key player and was scheduled to represent Germany's Under-21 team. He will now undergo a scan to determine the extent of the injury.
"His ankle is really sore and we don't know the damage," O'Neill stated. "We'll wait until tomorrow to get a scan. Gosh, I'd hope he won't be out terribly long, but I don't know at the moment."
O'Neill noted Baur's significant contributions since his arrival, highlighting his work rate and game intelligence despite his smaller stature. The manager also acknowledged his team's struggle to secure the win more comfortably, citing Benjamin Nygren's missed penalty in the second half.
"Pleased to win," O'Neill added. "It was a tough afternoon. We could never put the game to bed and Kilmarnock were always in the game. They played exceptionally well at times. Even (aside from) missing the penalty, it was really uncomfortable. But we saw it through. And after the effort on Thursday (against Besiktas), I probably wasn’t surprised that we didn’t have the same driving energy through the game. It was important to win."
Kasper Hogh had a first-half goal disallowed by VAR due to an earlier foul by Baur on Greg Kiltie. O'Neill commented on Hogh's performance, noting his hard work and improved hold-up play, and expressed confidence that goals will come for the striker.
"That’s really encouraging," O'Neill said regarding Hogh receiving a warm reception from supporters. "If you have the crowd behind you then you feel that if you’re working hard they’ll forgive other things. It won’t last forever. Strikers live and die by their goals but we all believe in him in the dressing room which is very encouraging."
O'Neill also addressed the absence of Haissem Hassan from the match-day squad, explaining it was part of efforts to create competition for places. Jota made his first start since April of last year, playing 45 minutes before being replaced by Yang Hyun-jun.
Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann expressed pride in his team's performance, despite the loss. "The boys were brilliant," he said. "It’s not an easy place to come, especially after Celtic’s good result against Besiktas and them having their tails up and being confident. We created chances, we were disciplined and brave on the ball in a difficult environment."
McCann felt his side showed enough positives to build on, stating, "We came away with nothing, but when you reflect there are so many good things to take and get a head of steam up. If we catch some breaks and be more ruthless, we’ll start climbing the table. There’s not a lot between everyone and that’s why I have optimism."