Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will have his work cut out as he deliberates on his starting line-up for this Sunday’s crucial match against Rangers.
The Irishman has a near full-strength squad to choose from this weekend; however, we will find out if there are any fresh injury concerns once his pre-match press conference concludes.
Circumstances can change, though reports suggest that Luis Palma and Callum McGregor could enjoy some involvement in Govan after advancing in their respective injury recovery processes.
We don’t have full clarity on Maik Nawrocki and Odin Thiago Holm’s situations; however, Rodgers will undoubtedly lay down the law regarding potential absences.
Paulo Bernardo made an impact by scoring a corker away to Livingston; regardless, whether he has done enough to earn a start at Ibrox remains to be seen.
Conventionally, whoever wins the midfield battle on derby day gains control of proceedings, and the engine room is one area where our manager may need to rigorously study before making a decision on who to start.
Brendan Rodgers has a decision to make in Celtic midfield
Given Reo Hatate enjoyed a productive hour or so against Livingston last weekend, you would expect the Japanese international to slot in beside Matt O’Riley after returning to full fitness.
Tomoki Iwata supported the duo from the six role last weekend, and has been a steady deputy for McGregor during his absence, earning the adulation of pundits and supporters amid his recent performances.
This begs the question: if our club captain is fit for this weekend, will Rodgers start McGregor or Iwata in midfield?
On one hand, McGregor hasn’t played since the Bhoys’ 7-1 victory over Dundee in late February, which would naturally breed concerns about his match-readiness.
John Kennedy discussed his current situation after Celtic’s 3-0 victory over Livingston, stating: “He’s the captain, the leader of the group. Everyone turns to him. The good thing is that out with Cal, we have other good leaders in Joe, Cameron, Alistair Johnston and these boys. They can pick up when he’s not there.
“But as the manager has said, hopefully, Cal will be back in training in the middle of the week. We’ll get him through that, and then the manager will decide later in the week whether or not he’s fit to play.”
Callum McGregor would be a huge miss for Celtic
If we were to miss McGregor from the start, his leadership and ability to grab hold of these matches single-handedly would be hard to replicate.
For example, taking the 30-year-old’s performance against Rangers last December into account, he completed 60 of his 64 attempted passes (94% accuracy — two key passes) coupled with eight out of ten long balls [Sofascore].
Meanwhile, McGregor also won seven ground duels and five tackles and wasn’t dribbled past once, showing his mettle from a defensive standpoint.
Should the Lennoxtown graduate declare himself available, most would agree that he has to be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Tomoki Iwata has the quality to step in for Celtic
We’ve already seen a template of what Iwata can offer as a starter, and it may surprise some Celtic fans to know that his dribble success rate in the league stands at 80%, showcasing his capacity to be an efficient water carrier in the middle of the park [Fotmob].
Nevertheless, it is important to note he isn’t as adventurous in his forward movement as McGregor. Despite having 612 touches in the Scottish Premiership (admittedly from a limited sample size), only 15 of these have come in the opposition area.
Solidity ranks as his main prerogative, and Iwata has offered valuable protection to the back four this season, averaging 4.4 ball recoveries per match [Sofascore].
From the beginning or as a substitute to help close out a result, the 26-year-old is a dependable presence for Celtic to rely on if McGregor fails to participate. You never know, we might even play both in a double pivot!