Celtic are locked into their battle for a domestic double as the season enters its crunch phase under Brendan Rodgers.
With eight league matches remaining, the Bhoys are one point ahead of Rangers going into this weekend’s round of Scottish Premiership fixtures.
Our rivals take on Hibernian on Saturday, which could potentially leave Rodgers’ men one point behind and needing to record three points at the Tony Macaroni Arena against Livingston to claim an advantage heading into next Sunday’s Glasgow Derby.
Nevertheless, the main talking point in the lead-up to the fixture will be the fact our manager is permitted to enter his technical area at Ibrox. However, he will be in the stands this weekend after picking up a one-match ban with another game suspended.
As we approach the end of the campaign, players will be desperate to show their capabilities amid the fact that both EURO 2024 and Copa America take place this summer.
Once club football hits the breaks, Celtic are set to have representation at both competitions, which will pique the interest of supporters at a loose without having the luxury of watching the Hoops in action.
UEFA meeting could be great news for some Celtic players
According to The Athletic, UEFA are set to hold an April consultation with countries involved in EURO 2024 that could see the maximum squad size at the tournament increased from 23 players to 26.
The outlet cite that some nations have expressed concerns over the current 23 limit due to the increased physical demand put on players in the current footballing climate.
“A workshop with the participating teams will be held on April 8 and on that occasion UEFA will listen to the views of the coaches. Any idea in this respect will then be considered and assessed,” one UEFA spokesperson added.
International managers could theoretically have more scope for breathing room and squad rotation without the risk of being reduced to the bare bones during the tournament if the rule change were to be enacted.
Celtic players could benefit from EURO 2024 squad rule change
Feasibly, there are several Celtic players who could benefit from a change in squad circumstances. Starting close to home, Greg Taylor and Anthony Ralston’s hopes of featuring under Steve Clarke for Scotland hang in the balance.
Nevertheless, there are several factors alongside the potential for an enlarged player pool that may play into their hands, such as Andy Robertson’s recent injury and Nathan Patterson’s inconsistent form [Sky Sports].
Matt O’Riley would also be someone more likely to earn a place on the plane with Denmark; meanwhile, could there be a call into the Poland senior squad for Maik Nawrocki in light of their qualification?
It is hard to know for certain; however, it would be nice to see as many Celtic players as possible taking part in the finals this summer.