Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will hope to be boosted by the return of a few of his star men once the international break concludes.
The Bhoys now sit at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, and still have their destiny in their own hands ahead of our upcoming derby at Ibrox.
Heading into the clash, Rodgers and his backroom staff will hope to welcome back the likes of Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate, who are both expected to return to first-team action in the next couple of weeks.
Maik Nawrocki and Luis Palma won’t be too far behind them; however, lines are blurred to a greater extent when taking their situation into account.
It does seem like the Bhoys are trying to cobble together an array of stars for the final portion of the campaign, which can only be a positive as we aim to be at full strength in our pursuit of two trophies.
Injuries appear to have been our kryptonite this season; nevertheless, Rodgers could well have some healthy selection dilemmas when we travel to face Livingston at the end of March.
Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales missed our 3-1 victory over St Johnstone last week and is another player on the treatment table.
Liam Scales injury news as Celtic defender prepares to return
Scales picked up a knock that ruled him out of the St Johnstone triumph and has now been withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland’s upcoming friendly double-header against Belgium and Switzerland.
Troy Parrott has also been ruled out for the Boys in Green, who are yet to call up a replacement for either player heading into their latest round of fixtures.
According to The Daily Record, Scales is set to make his comeback against Livingston on March 31st, which will conceivably see the former Shamrock Rovers man walk straight back into the starting line-up.
Rodgers gave a general overview of the Bhoys’ struggles with injuries this season, stating: “It’s just been one of those seasons. Players have picked up funny little injuries – like Reo, who was coming back and then picked one up with his international team. We’ve been close to getting everyone back and around it. There was a little period there. But it hasn’t sort of happened yet.
“The important thing is we are still there, still fighting and still in a really good place. Then we will go into the last leg of the race, which I’m looking forward to.”
This campaign, Scales has become a mainstay for Celtic, registering one goal and three assists in 36 appearances across all competitions [Transfermarkt].
He is clearly valued as an important player by Rodgers, and talks are in motion regarding a new contract for the Irishman.
Looking ahead, it doesn’t seem like we will need to wait too much longer to see Scales back in action as the campaign enters its final stretch.