Welsh has made 17 appearances since becoming a member of Properly on mortgage in September, serving to Jens Berthel Askou’s aspect report 9 clear sheets and transfer as much as fourth within the Scottish Premiership desk.
United States centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers continues to be a key absentee for Celtic and, though Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney may cowl that place, O’Neill views Liam Scales, Auston Trusty and Dane Murray as his present choices within the center.
Requested why Welsh had been recalled, the interim boss replied: “He is having a very nice time at Motherwell and I perceive, from a taking part in viewpoint, that having acquired himself up and working and doing nice, he in all probability did not need that disturbed.
“However there was a cut-off level the place we might take him again after which ship him again to Motherwell if that was the case. Which may occur.
“I need to admit I hadn’t realised the variety of matches he had performed for this membership – Champions League matches as nicely.
“We’ve three centre-backs in the mean time. If something occurred to any of them, we might discover ourselves in a little bit of hassle.”
O’Neill stated that, with captain Callum McGregor lacking from central midfield and striker Kelechi Iheanacho additionally struggling accidents, these have been additionally areas he was trying to bolster.
“I do not, for example, see Jota being again this season,” he revealed of the winger who injured his cruciate ligament in April. “I believe [right-back Alistair] Johnston will in all probability make a comeback someday in March.”
The Northern Irishman solely took over for a second interim spell after the sacking of Wilfried Nancy on 5 January, with Paul Tisdale additionally leaving as the top of soccer operations.
Nonetheless, O’Neill was not ready in charge the actual fact gamers may need been initially focused for the Frenchman’s particular system for the dearth of signings.
“I do know you might be considering we’re midway via January, however the January switch window is at all times fairly troublesome,” he stated.
“I might like to blame different individuals, no, but it surely’s right down to me. We’re genuinely working actually laborious within the background, so there is not any obstacle in that sense.
“It is simply attempting to get some individuals in that we predict might assist us now, at the least till the tip of the season. I’ve discarded some, however we’re making progress, or we predict we’re.
“By way of perhaps numbers, we would not thoughts getting just a few in.”
