Celtic’s crucial Champions League play-off against LASK is set to kick off on Wednesday night as the two sides clash heads at Celtic Park in the first leg before meeting once more at the Raiffeisen Arena next week.
However, ahead of the game, it was discovered that Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently serving a three-match UEFA suspension, which dates all the way back to his time at Besiktas.
The former Liverpool and Arsenal star was sent off in the 90th minute against Lugano in the Europa Conference League in December 2023 and UEFA subsequently reviewed the incident and imposed a three-match suspension on him which applies to Wednesday’s game.
Celtic are hoping to avoid a repeat of last season’s dire Champions League play-off exit, when Kairat Almaty eliminated the Scottish side on penalties.
Oxlade-Chamberlian, who is still registered in the squad for the clash despite his suspension, will be a huge loss to the side especially after Arne Engels made his £22M move to West Ham last week, leaving a hole in Celtic’s squad.
The midfielder will miss both legs of Celtic's Champions League playoff against LASK as well as their opening game of the UCL or UEL league phase as the 33 year old’s career which has been filled with missed game due to injuries does not get any easier.
Heads will roll
Former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness called the oversight "due diligence 101" and ripped into chief executive Michael Nicholson.
"This is simple due diligence 101 that should have been done.
"Certainly somebody’s in a lot of trouble about this. Especially considering how big European football is for Celtic, you don’t have that sort of mistake happen," he said.
"And so here they are with a self-inflicted wound. If Celtic don’t get through, this will be brought up, believe me, and the fans will throw this right back at the administration’s face.
"And at that stage, maybe heads will roll. In the end, the chief executive will be ultimately responsible for a mistake like this."