Cameron Carter-Vickers isn’t expected to feature for Scottish Premiership giants Celtic again this season, all but ending his World Cup hopes.

Carter-Vickers recently underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon that he suffered in UEFA Europa League action back on October 23. Carter-Vickers was expected to miss three-to-five months due to the injury, but now interim manager Martin O’Neill doesn’t expect to see him back on the field in competitive action this season.

“Yeah, we will not see him,” O’Neill told reporters ahead of Celtic’s weekend showdown with St. Mirren. “I think it might be April before he’s even on grass. Funnily enough, I did ask him yesterday, did he think he would be ready for the World Cup? And he said he thought that would be very doubtful.”

Carter-Vickers made 13 appearances for Celtic this season in all competitions, taking his club tally to 172 since debuting for the club in September 2021. After originally spending a one-year loan in Glasgow, Carter-Vickers permanently joined the club from Tottenham in 2022.

He’s helped Celtic lift nine trophies during his time there, including four SPFL titles.

Carter-Vickers’ injury dealt a major blow to his hopes of making Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. men’s national team World Cup squad next summer. The veteran centerback made one appearance under Pochettino this year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 CONCACAF Nations League third-place match defeat to Canada.

His injury opened the door for Auston Trusty to earn consistent minutes in the Celtic backline and potentially take his spot in the USMNT centerback pecking order.

Celtic sits seven points back of league-leading Hearts and has 11 matches remaining this year in all competitions.