Martin O’Neill has revealed that Celtic midfielder Oliver Sorensen has suffered a family bereavement, with the Hoops manager explaining the personal circumstances affecting members of his squad.

Everyone at CeltsAreHere sends our heartfelt condolences to Oliver Sorensen, Auston Trusty and their families following their respective bereavements. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

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Speaking after the match, the Celtic manager explained that the situation had affected his available options.

He said: (TCW), “We’ve had a couple of boys who are away, Auston Trusty is away at this minute. I think with his father dying and Oliver Sorensen had a family bereavement as well too.”

O’Neill did not provide further details about Sorensen’s circumstances or indicate when the midfielder might be available.

The manager’s comments came as he defended his decision to make changes to the Celtic starting eleven.

O’Neill was asked specifically about Cameron Carter-Vickers returning to the side against Falkirk, with Dane Murray dropping to the bench despite his recent run of appearances.

The American defender endured a difficult afternoon, making an error that allowed Ethan Ross to open the scoring after just three minutes.

Carter-Vickers was also unable to prevent Scott Tanser from getting beyond him to score Falkirk’s second goal before half-time.

O’Neill explained that the number of matches Celtic have been playing has made squad rotation necessary.

“Obviously the reason for us to have a squad is the number of games that we’re playing in relatively quick succession.”

He added that players also needed opportunities to feature, pointing towards Carter-Vickers’ previous contribution to the club.

“But players need to play at some stage or another. And he has been a big player for Celtic in the past, Carter-Vickers.”

Celtic have been dealing with a demanding run of domestic and European fixtures, leaving limited time between matches.

Sunday’s defeat to Falkirk followed Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Celtic Park.

O’Neill has made several changes to his starting lineup during this period, although the manager has stressed that the fixture schedule makes it difficult to rely on the same players for every match.

The circumstances involving Trusty and Sorensen have added another consideration for the Celtic boss as he manages his available squad.

The club has not been given a return date for either player in O’Neill’s latest comments, and their personal circumstances remain separate from the footballing decisions surrounding Thursday’s European fixture.