Celtic showed resolve to progress to the Scottish Cup semi-final yesterday despite a spirited display from Livingston at Parkhead.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor and Hyunjun Yang were among the bodies missing for the hosts; however, Brendan Rodgers’ men turned in an impressive attacking display, albeit we were shaky from a defensive standpoint.
Daizen Maeda’s hat trick and a late strike from Kyogo Furuhashi were enough to quell the visitors’ efforts on the day, making for an entertaining afternoon of cup action in Glasgow’s east end.
Undoubtedly, Celtic weren’t majorly convincing at the back, and were lucky not to be behind just before the hour mark, where Joe Hart was called upon to keep out a free header from Michael Nottingham.
In the end, the Bhoys did what they needed to do, with Nicolas Kuhn, alongside Maeda, gaining adulation for their ability to provide efficient width and attacking impetus.
Per BBC Sport, the reigning Scottish Cup holders racked up 31 shots, 11 of which were on target, alongside having 77% of possession, wielding a level of dominance over proceedings that really should’ve secured a calmer progression to the final four of the competition.
Either way, we now eagerly anticipate tonight’s semi-final draw, which is being broadcast live on BBC Scotland following the conclusion of Greenock Morton vs Heart of Midlothian.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers delivers Callum McGregor update
Last week, Rodgers revealed that McGregor had been sent for a scan for a calf/Achilles issue; however, the results came back ‘inconclusive’, signifying a need to monitor his situation on a day-by-day basis.
Now, he has delivered a hopeful fresh update on the Scotland international’s injury status, claiming that he is optimistic McGregor will be back in contention after the international break.
Rodgers stated [Football Scotland]: “It always is if you have your top players and your captain not available.
“Of course, there will be other players who can come in, but the level that he brings the game to is beyond what a lot of our players can do.
“Fingers crossed again, we can get to the bottom of that, and he’ll be available after the international break.”
Celtic need Callum McGregor back for the Glasgow Derby
Once the Bhoys return from international duty, we face a trip to Livingston on March 31st before taking on Rangers at Ibrox a week later, a game we desperately need McGregor available to feature in.
Tomoki Iwata has done a commendable job in his absence; however, McGregor has an ability to orchestrate from deep that sets him apart from more or less every midfielder in Scottish football.
Looking ahead, his experience will be vital during the run-in, and hopefully, we can see the 30-year-old return in a timely fashion before we head to Govan.
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