When Martin O’Neill confirmed that Callum McGregor was forced to miss the explosive Glasgow derby due to a recurrence of an injury from last season, a familiar anxiety washed over the Celtic fanbase.
Losing the skipper – the undisputed heartbeat of the Parkhead midfield – is always a bitter pill for Celtic supporters to swallow.
However, former Celtic defender Greg Taylor has stepped up to firmly ease those lingering concerns, offering a brilliant inside perspective on his old teammate’s superhuman recovery rates.
Having shared a dressing room with the captain through years of gruelling ‘play, recover, play’ cycles, Taylor knows McGregor’s elite mindset and staggering pain threshold better than most.
Addressing the absence, Taylor quickly dismissed fears of a prolonged spell on the sidelines. “If it’s a six-week injury, it will be a two-week injury,” the now-PAOK star insisted on Premier Sports. “If it’s a two-week injury, it will be a four-day injury.”
What can be done to help provide more support for Callum McGregor?
Greg Taylor insists Callum McGregor will be back from injury for Celtic quicker than expected
While Taylor acknowledged the heavy physical toll of McGregor playing virtually every game for the last seven seasons, he emphasised the captain’s sheer refusal to stay sidelined.
As O’Neill’s squad navigates this crucial stretch, Taylor’s guarantee that McGregor will be back ‘sooner rather than later’ is the exact tonic the green-and-white faithful needed.
Celtic’s penalty shootout win over Rangers in the Scottish Cup quarter-final was even better because it happened without the main man in the middle, and Player of the Year contender, Kieran Tierney.
Thankfully, the latter’s injury doesn’t seem too serious, and there are suggestions that Tierney could be back for Celtic’s Premiership clash against Motherwell on Saturday.
O’Neill will likely outline a clearer timeline for McGregor’s recovery this week, but fans shouldn’t stress; if Taylor’s assessment holds true, the Celtic captain will be back on the grass much sooner than expected
Darrell Currie: “Greg, what do you think about all of that on Callum and wanting to play every game. Does the manager need to rest him a little bit?
“And also maybe a bit of insight because Martin O’Neill has now said publicly it is the same injury that he struggled with last season, that you will know all about.”
Greg Taylor: “I think it’s hard getting that balance. As a player, there is nothing better than when you are in that rhythm of just play, recover, play and recover.
“But then, of course, you can tip over into something where you end up getting an injury. Callum is too important a player for Celtic to have injured. I think there was a cup game, was it Talbot they played? And Cal played in this one. I think the guys are right, there have been a few occasions that Cal could have come out, and you are given that breather.
“But he’s a guy who is difficult to leave out, because he wants to play every game. He has played every game in the five, six, and seven seasons. He is so vital.
“Hopefully, it isn’t long. I know one thing with Cal: if it’s a six-week injury, it will be a two-week injury. If it’s a two-week injury, it will be a four-day injury. He does have a high pain threshold. I am sure he will be back sooner rather than later.”
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