celtic v st mirren semi final has taken on fresh urgency after St Mirren goalkeeper Shamal George picked up an ankle knock in training on Thursday afternoon at the SMISA Stadium. Interim boss Craig McLeish said the club will assess the issue before Sunday’s last-four tie at Hampden, with George now a concern after cutting short the session.
Late fitness check looms before Celtic V St Mirren Semi Final
George, who is on loan from Wycombe, had only recently returned from a trapped nerve in his neck that forced him off in the first half of St Mirren’s 1-0 Premiership defeat by Celtic at Parkhead last Saturday. The latest setback came during training, leaving his status uncertain for the celtic v st mirren semi final and putting the club on alert just days before the match.
If George does not recover in time, McLeish would be expected to turn to Ryan Mullen. Mullen stepped in against Celtic at Parkhead and was making only his second league appearance for St Mirren since joining from Morton last summer. McLeish said the team would take precautions immediately after the knock, stressing that the goalkeeper’s workload was cut short straight away.
McLeish backs replacement option if needed
McLeish said: “We need to assess it. He’s only just went over to his ankle, so we’re hoping that he’s going to be OK. We have to take precautions and just take the weight off it straight away. ” He added that Mullen did well at the weekend and that the staff are comfortable if he has to step in again. “The physio is with him just now so we’ll see how that goes, but if Ryan steps in then we’re more than comfortable and confident with what Ryan can do as well, ” McLeish said.
McLeish also pointed to Mullen’s composure in a difficult setting. “He had to go on as a substitute goalkeeper, as a back-up goalkeeper. To go in the way he did at Celtic Park in front of the fans and the crowd and to look so assured… he gave us so much of that in the second half as well, ” he said. That reassurance may matter if the celtic v st mirren semi final comes too soon for George.
St Mirren chase another Hampden chance
St Mirren are hoping to reach their second final of the season, and the squad will go into Sunday waiting on one final medical update. The club also have recent Hampden success in mind, having beaten Celtic 3-1 there in December to win the Premier Sports Cup. That result gives the celtic v st mirren semi final an added edge, even with the focus now squarely on George’s ankle and the decision that follows.
For St Mirren, the next step is simple: assess George, protect the injury, and decide whether Mullen must go again. With the celtic v st mirren semi final approaching fast, the final team news may shape how the club approaches one of its biggest days of the season.
