During certain episodes this season, Brendan Rodgers had to have thought that someone was carrying a box full of voodoo dolls.
The head coach of the Houston Rockets has witnessed some high-profile turnovers end up in the Parkhead treatment room when they could have been used on the field. With regulars Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, and Liel Abada out for extended periods of time—the latter having hardly kicked a ball all season—Rodgers witnessed Jota and Carl Starfelt leave in the summer.
Callum McGregor is the most recent player to spend time with the medical staff. With the crucial Old Firm match scheduled for April 7, Hoops supporters are hoping he returns to action soon after the international break. However, Rodgers is at least hoping for some extremely good news this weekend: Cameron Carter-Vickers is scheduled to train in preparation for Saturday’s match against St Johnstone. This season, the large center defender has only made 21 appearances, and each time he is sidelined, the squad suffers greatly.
According to former Celtics player John Hughes, the defender’s issues have contributed significantly to the Parkhead team’s defensive shortcomings. For Celtic to have any chance of winning the Scottish Cup and the title, it will be imperative that the big man stays healthy for the last stretch.
“Carter-Vickers has been a huge loss for me at times this season,” Hughes stated. He is enormously powerful for Celtic. You consider Carter-Vickers, who had a chance to win player of the year, and Hatate, who was among the players of the year the previous season. The return of Carter-Vickers will be extremely beneficial to Brendan. He plays a big role in how they play out from the back and is a rock at the back.
“You watched how he altered the game entirely when he entered the game against Motherwell. Every tool in the toolbox is with him. He is swift, strong, and proficient in the air. He’s one step ahead of everyone else in his reading of the game, as you can see. When you consider his track record while on the team, you can see that Celtic has hardly lost any of the games he has played in. It’s challenging because it’s simple to get minor aches and pains during the healing process after a serious accident.
“This season, you’ve witnessed that with him. I am aware that the center backs have received some criticism. However, Liam Scales has stepped up and established himself as a mainstay. A left-sided center half also appeals to me. After his loan stint at Aberdeen last summer, he appeared to be heading out, but good job, young man. This season, he has made the most of his opportunity and is among the first names on Brendan’s team sheet. Welsh is a great player who never lets you down; despite battling injuries, he’s just a young man who needs games. I like both of them, but you need someone with that experience with you, and for me, that someone is Carter-Vickers.
The intrigue surrounding the summer center back prospects is another. While Maik Nawrocki cost £4 million and Gustaf Lagerbielke £3 million to acquire, neither player has been able to establish themselves as a regular. While Lagerbielke struggled to settle after a hectic start and acknowledged that he might need to consider his future in the summer after coming dangerously close to a loan exit in January, Nawrocki has been beset by ailments.
Hughes stated that although fans should have faith in Rodgers, Carter-Vickers has to be covered with cotton wool. The legendary coach of Hibs and Falkirk, who played for Tommy Burns’ daring Hoops team in the 1990s, stated: “A lot is made of the guys who are not playing.”
“Brendan will see the managers in training; they are the only ones that matter.” He will select the team he believes is best suited, even though it may mean they still need to grow a little. This implies that Carter-Vickers must play if he is healthy. It is imperative that he remains healthy for the remainder of the season as that will be vital to Celtic.
In the final stretch, when the league match becomes the home straight, Celtic will need all of their seasoned players. Despite the fact that the Hoops’ eight-point lead has shrunk to a two-point deficit, there are still two Old Firm games remaining. With a victory over Saints on Saturday, Celts will want to take the lead. On Sunday, they will travel to Dundee to watch how Rangers handle having to play catch up.
“People will look at Rangers’ form, but Celtic will rise to the challenge,” Hughes stated. Although the instruction in the locker room is to remain composed, the spectators will be on edge. They know what it takes since they have been here before. The players will be hurting themselves for surrendering that lead. More than all of them, Brendan will be in pain. Nevertheless, the team’s late goals demonstrate their drive. That is not a coincidence. It all comes down to quality and a never-say-die mindset. It is now gone, and the focus is solely on the upcoming nine games.
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