Greg Taylor looks like being the latest Celtic star likely set for an international rest after the call-up to the Scotland squad of Andy Robertson this afternoon.
Robertson, Scotland’s number 1 left-back, missed out the friendly against Poland due to Covid. However, he’s now fit enough to feature tomorrow night in Austria.
It comes after Taylor impressed for long spells against the Poles at Hampden on Thursday night. If he does lose his spot, he could feel a touch hard done by.
However, Celtic fans will again be pleased if this is to be the case with a huge Glasgow derby against Rangers coming up on Sunday. A victory there will all but ensure the title, as Steve Clarke said the following via Sky Sports about Robertson and Lyndon Dykes:
“Yes, 100% both boys are good.
“Looking at the bigger picture in terms of fairness to players in the squad more than anything it’s a game where I’ll probably rotate a little more than I would do for a second game before an international break.”
Andy Robertson wouldn’t be there if Scotland had no plans to use him
Normally, the ideal situation would be for Greg to rack up as many minutes as he could when the opportunity arises. After all, it’s not often he gets the chance to feature due to the superstar reputation held by Liverpool’s Robertson.
And the truth is he wouldn’t be returning to the camp and flying out to Austria if Scotland didn’t have it in their minds to use him. The former Dundee United man, currently Scotland’s captain, will likely be a key figure for Clarke’s side tomorrow.
Celtic will also likely have Callum McGregor involved in the game. And even if Clarke has admitted to changes to his team for this one, it’s difficult to see the Celtic captain being one of them. Not when you consider his importance to the Scotland cause.
The Robertson call-up comes after several other international Celts look set to have a calmer week ahead. Nir Bitton has already left the Israel camp whilst Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic is thinking about resting Josip Juranovic for his side’s friendly against Bulgaria. Reports in Greece, meanwhile, claim that Giorgos Giakoumakis is likely to be rested for tonight’s game against Montenegro [Gazzetta]. Whether that comes to pass remains to be seen.
We’ll see whether these Celtic players truly do end up refueling on the bench or whether they keep their spots. Ideally, if any are to feature, it’s in cameo roles. Particularly considering so many of these contests are friendlies.
But the early signs are good. Hopefully, Taylor is indeed rested given he’s a cert to start at left-back next Sunday.
In other news, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou given brilliant Wim Jansen comparison
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