Celtic are currently in the midst of something of a defensive injury crisis, with manager Ange Postecoglou having been without the first-choice centre-back pairing of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers in recent weeks.

With it yet to be seen when that duo will return, it has left the Hoops somewhat short ahead of a hectic month of fixtures that will see them compete both domestically and in Europe, with more depth needed beyond just Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz.

That pairing notably struggled in the defeat to St Mirren prior to the recent international break, having looked "all over the place" in the words of journalist Josh Bunting, after enduring a tough afternoon against the physical attacking partnership of Curtis Main and Jonah Ayunga.

While there may be no other senior options to turn to, Postecoglou could well find a possible solution in the form of academy star Ewan Otoo, with the 20-year-old having impressed in the Parkhead youth ranks of late.

The young Scotsman is yet to feature at senior level for the Old Firm outfit, although has racked up nine appearances for the Glasgow side's 'B' team so far this term, notably registering two assists from his centre-back berth.

The emerging talent had previously shown his quality during a brief loan stint at Clyde at the tail end of the 2020/21 campaign, recording 15 appearances in all competitions for the lower league side.

That temporary spell showcased the youngster's versatility as he also lined up in a left-back berth, with his strong displays seeing him lauded by coach Danny Lennon, who said of his talents:

"Ewan is a young boy with fantastic energy, he's trying to make his mark in the game at that level, so he will certainly get the experience of that.

"Like anything, I believe when you're given that access, the more that you go and play at that level, the quicker these boys learn. What he does have is a terrific attitude, for a very young boy he's years ahead in terms of maturation, and is a very strong, powerful boy."

That glowing assessment is seemingly a marker of just what a talent the exciting Otoo is, with it potentially time that he is finally handed a crack at life in the first team, with the current injury concerns offering the perfect chance for involvement.

For all the brilliance of Postecoglou's stint in charge over the past year or so, the title-winning coach is yet to truly put his faith in the club's youth ranks thus far, with the aforementioned Welsh arguably the only recent academy graduate to have become a regular fixture in his squad.

The next step on the brilliant journey under the 57-year-old could be to promote from within, with young Otoo - and a batch of others - seemingly waiting in the wings to be unleashed.