MISSING out on the chance to make Scottish football history by completing 10-In-A-Row this season seems like the very least of Celtic’s problems just now.

The prospect of the quadruple treble winners resurrecting their ailing title bid was remote before their meeting with Hibernian at Parkhead on Monday night; they were 22 points behind their city rivals Rangers in the Premiership table.

But the 1-1 draw that a hastily cobbled together side recorded in that rearranged fixture has killed off any hope of an improbable comeback in the months ahead.

The end of their record-equalling run of domestic dominance, though, almost feels like an irrelevance amid the almighty stooshie the Glasgow giants are currently embroiled in.

The Scottish government is reviewing the travel exemptions for elite sports following Celtic’s trip to Dubai last week for a warm weather training camp amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

There is a possibility that, with the lower leagues and Scottish Cup being suspended until January 31 this week, the top two tiers could be put into cold storage too.

Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, gave the game in this country a “yellow card” back in August after Aberdeen and Celtic players were found to have ignored strict guidelines. Could this episode result in a red?

The SFA compliance officer, meanwhile, is examining whether any Covid-19 protocols were flouted in the United Arab Emirates and disciplinary action could be forthcoming.

Pictures showing players and coaches lying on sun loungers poolside drinking beers and sitting together in a hotel restaurant were posted online and assistant manager John Kennedy has admitted there may have been “slight breaches” of regulations.

The Parkhead hierarchy are being lambasted from all sides, not least by their own seething supporters, for sanctioning the jaunt in the first place and then not calling it off as a new strain of the virus caused infection rates worldwide to soar and lockdown restrictions to be increased.

The sheer folly of their journey to the Middle East was underlined when Christopher Jullien – the centre half who had been ruled out of action for up to four months with a knee injury just days before leaving – returned a positive test result on Sunday.

No fewer than 12 of his team mates and three members of staff, including manager Neil Lennon and Kennedy, were forced to enter quarantine as a result and a makeshift side comprising fringe players and youths dropped invaluable points.

Losing Nir Bitton, Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard, Hatem Elhamed and David Turnbull, all important first team players, last year after international breaks was a clear indication of the enormous risks. But the warnings were ignored.

To top it all off, Shane Duffy, who left the bio-secure bubble in Dubai to return home to Ireland and attend to a family matter last week, started against Hibs just two days after Kennedy declared that he would not be involved because it would go against expert advice.

Dubai has, from start to finish, been an unmitigated disaster.

So where on earth do Celtic go from here? What can the Parkhead club do to repair the damage to their reputation caused by their ill-considered actions? What will the repercussions for them be going forward?

And will there be any casualties as a result of their annus horribilis?

It remains to be seen if they can salvage the sorry situation such is the level of public outcry. But they could certainly start off by admitting they were wrong and offering an unreserved apology. And not through their official website either.

Andy Walker, the former Celtic striker who now works as a media pundit, called for major shareholder Dermot Desmond to put his head above the parapets when he spoke on Sky Sports on Monday evening.

“What the Celtic supporters deserve is a bit of contrition from someone, anyone, with a bit of backbone at this club,” he said. “Preferably Dermot Desmond. He needs to get on this case and make things happen.”

The statement that Celtic published on Monday was completely lacking in remorse. It showed a staggering lack of awareness of the depth of feeling this unfortunate affair has generated. Somebody at the very top must show some genuine regret and quickly.

They should also comply fully with the ongoing SFA investigation and accept, if they are found to have been in the wrong, whatever punishment is meted out without complaint.

An internal review must also be conducted to identify what errors of both judgement and procedure that resulted in Celtic embarking on a 7,000 mile round trip to another continent at a time when ordinary people are not being allowed to visit members of their immediate family because of a global crisis.

There must be assurances that lessons have been learned and a pledge that similar mistakes will not be repeated in future.

A proper explanation of why Celtic travelled to Dubai, why Jullien joined them and why Duffy played this week must also be given.

To leave it to Lennon, Kennedy and even first team coach Gavin Strachan to address the fallout to a controversy that has dominated radio and television bulletins, social media and the front and back pages of newspapers has been wrong.

There can be no denying the Celtic board has overseen some extraordinary successes in the past decade. The team has won trophies and titles and the club has made money from their transfer dealings. Their healthy finances have enabled them to meet the challenges presented by the coronavirus outbreak.

But Dubaigate has smacked of arrogance, of entitlement, of aloofness, of ignorance even. It has reflected badly on those who occupy the directors’ box on match days.

So has the season as a whole. Recruitment has been poor. Millions have been spent on individuals who have warmed the bench. If, that is, they have been in the squad at all.

A manager normally pays the price for failure with his job and it remains to be seen what this means for Lennon. But it wasn’t his fault that Cameron Harper, Armstrong Oko-Flex and Stephen Welsh had to play this week. The responsibility lies elsewhere.

Desmond, chief executive Peter Lawwell, director of recruitment Nicky Hammond and others must also consider the parts they have played in what has been a public relations catastrophe and a car crash of a campaign.