Celtic take on Livingston this weekend at the Tony Macaroni Arena as they resume club action upon the conclusion of the international break.
Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to ensure his side guarantee three points against the Lions, taking into account our looming Glasgow Derby clash on April 7th.
The Irishman has hope that Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Liam Scales can return to contention for the affair; meanwhile, Cameron Carter-Vickers is expected to steward the backline in the wake of his successful outing against St Johnstone last time out.
Rodgers always has selection dilemmas before any fixture, and this Sunday will be no different for the 51-year-old.
Suddenly, Celtic look to have a plethora of options in several key positions, which can only bode well for the rest of the season.
With eight Scottish Premiership matches left to play, there is little margin for error amid the tight nature of this year’s title race.
Celtic have a defensive dilemma ahead of their trip to Livingston
In light of Scales’ potential return from a training ground injury, there is a scenario where the Irishman could be thrown straight back into Rodgers’ line-up for their trip to Livingston.
The 25-year-old has made 36 appearances in all competitions this term, registering one goal and three assists [Transfermarkt].
Despite this, there is a compelling case for Carter-Vickers and Welsh to be the defensive two who take to the field in West Lothian.
Firstly, the artificial surface at the Tony Macaroni Arena isn’t an ideal environment for a player making their comeback from a knock, and there is an added risk that Scales could incur further issues by starting on Livingston’s much-maligned plastic pitch.
Coatbridge-born defender Welsh came in to replace the former Shamrock Rovers man in our 3-1 victory over St Johnstone before the international break, and you can probably see where I’m going with this.
Starting in a left-sided central defensive role, the 24-year-old was progressive by nature, completing 82 out of his 94 attempted passes (87% success rate), with 19 reaching the final third [Fotmob].
Earning an average match rating of 7.6/10, Welsh also recorded four successful long balls from seven efforts to go direct, helping the Bhoys swiftly transition into advanced areas.
Former Celtic man Peter Grant agreed with this sentiment, stating in the aftermath of our last victory: “On Saturday, he was progressive, passing into the middle of the pitch; I thought that’s what helped Celtic because he used the ball quickly forward and Celtic had a lot of attacks. Whereas, sometimes, they go back the way.”
On the other side of our backline, United States’ international Carter-Vickers kept things watertight in his role as enforcer, winning eight out of his nine contested aerial duels [Sofascore].
Celtic shouldn’t tinker with something that isn’t broken
Carter-Vickers’ withdrawal on 75 minutes almost immediately coincided with the visitors’ consolation strike on the day, showing the importance of continuity within the defensive unit.
Granted, Scales has enjoyed an unforeseen rise to prominence; however, Celtic can’t afford to tinker with their backline too much, and it may make sense for Welsh to continue beside Carter-Vickers this weekend.
Either way, Rodgers’ men should have enough about them to see off a Livingston outfit who are cast adrift at the foot of the Scottish Premiership.