Celtic handed Colby Donovan concern as defender withdraws from Scotland duty
Celtic defender Colby Donovan has withdrawn from Scotland Under-21 duty ahead of their upcoming international friendlies against Ukraine and the USA.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive breakthrough campaign at Parkhead, establishing himself as a trusted option under Martin O’Neill in the absence of the injured Alistair Johnston.
Donovan played the full 90 minutes of Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Sunday, continuing his run of regular first-team involvement.
However, the youngster will now miss Scotland Under-21s’ upcoming fixtures in Spain, with Tony Docherty’s side scheduled to face Ukraine on Thursday before meeting the USA on Sunday, November 15.
The reason for Donovan’s withdrawal has not been confirmed, leaving Celtic waiting to discover whether his absence is injury-related.
Rangers youngster Calum Adamson, currently on loan at Raith Rovers, has also withdrawn from the squad, with Sam Chambers and Sebastian Lochhead called up as replacements.
Donovan has already made 21 appearances for Celtic across all competitions this season, featuring in both the Champions League qualifiers and Europa League.
His impressive emergence at Parkhead also earned him recognition at senior international level, with Sebastien Pocognoli including the defender in his first Scotland squad.
However, Donovan did not feature in Scotland’s opening four Nations League fixtures and was subsequently omitted from the senior squad for this month’s double-header against North Macedonia and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has also withdrawn from international duty after suffering a calf problem during the warm-up ahead of Sunderland’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
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