Celtic and Rangers top six rivals dealt massive injury blow as everpresent star is ruled out for the season

Celtic’s upcoming opponents Dundee have suffered a huge injury blow ahead of their trip to Glasgow.

The Dark Blues, who recently earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Rangers, have been one of the surprise packages of the Scottish Premiership this term, and their impressive performances have propelled them into the top six for the first time since 2015.

Skipper Joe Shaughnessy has been a key part of that success. The 31-year-old has featured in every game this season and has been a crucial figure in the backline since his arrival from St Mirren.

However, he won’t be back on the pitch until the start of next season – or possibly even longer – after suffering a “significant” knee injury, as reported by The Courier.

The exact timeline on his return has not yet been determined, but it is strongly suspected that the ex-Aberdeen man will be out for a lengthy period of time, heavily reducing his team’s chances of leapfrogging St Mirren to fifth spot this term.

“He is not great, at all,” Tony Docherty said.

“He has what looks like a significant knee injury. How long-term we don’t really know yet, but he definitely won’t play again this season.

“Joe is set to see the specialist at the end of the week and we will have a clearer idea of how long he is going to be out then.

“He came in on Tuesday to see our doctor and the boys. He is gutted, as you would expect. It is a blow for Joe and ourselves.

“Joe is our captain and has played every minute. We are all a bit gutted for him.”