Filip Benkovic’s return from injury has not gone smoothly so far. He only made some brief appearances against Dundee and St Mirren, and has not yet returned to the starting line-up.
However, with Dedryck Boyata now injured, Benkovic is arguably the Hoops’ best centre-back. Neil Lennon will surely want to pair him with Kristoffer Ajer.
Must get through game to prove fitness
That is why Benkovic must start Saturday’s match against Livingston. Should he manage to get through the game, it would prove that he is fit to take on Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup next Sunday.
Benkovic will be vital for the cup tie, as he will be up against the Dons’ top scorer Sam Cosgrove. It will be up to Benkovic to ensure that he does not get into the game.
An hour would be enough
Even if Benkovic only plays for an hour against Livingston that should be enough to indicate if he is fit enough to cope with the Aberdeen game.
If Benkovic doesn’t start the game, it could indicate that Neil Lennon feels that the player isn’t fit enough to play Aberdeen and that Jozo Simunovic is a better option to partner Ajer.
That could be a controversial decision, as Benkovic has performed better than Simunovic this season. All will become clearer when the team to play Livingston is announced.
However, if Benkovic is on the bench again he probably won’t start against Aberdeen.
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