Celtic face a crucial Scottish Premiership test against Dundee United, and manager Martin O’Neill has a welcome but complex selection headache at the back.
Liam Scales remains a permanent fixture in the heart of Celtic’s defence, but the identity of his partner is up for fierce debate.
Young loanee Benjamin Arthur stepped into the lineup against Motherwell last time out and thoroughly impressed with a composed display.
However, the experienced Auston Trusty is now returning from suspension, while the talented Dane Murray is also available for selection.
With the battle for the Scottish Premiership on a knife-edge, our 67 Hail Hail writers deliver their verdicts on who gets the nod between Arthur, Murray and Trusty to start alongside Scales against Dundee United at Tannadice.
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Who starts alongside Liam Scales against Dundee United?
Take your pick Celtic fans, and explain why…
Callum Boyle
I would pick Arthur as the starter next to Scales. I think that having a naturally right-footed player in that position provides so much more balance to the side. It creates more angles for passes out of the back, and to be truthful, the young English star hasn’t put a foot wrong.
Trusty was brilliant against Rangers in the epic Scottish Cup quarter-final win, so I’d be happy with either there, and I know it is controversial, but his disciplinary record does worry me.
Paddy Sinat
While Arthur has equipped himself well over the last three fixtures, Trusty must come back into the Celtic starting XI.
The Americans’ experience will be crucial as O’Neill knows he cannot afford to drop any more points for the remainder of the campaign.
Some people could point to Trusty not being trusted (pardon the pun), to keep his discipline, but a high-stakes three-way Scottish Premiership title race needs good, experienced players, and the USMNT international is exactly that.
Martin Crawford
I expect Trusty to come back in, and rightly so. His pre-existing partnership with Scales has been a key part of most of our wins under O’Neill, and though my trust in him isn’t yet at 100%, I do think he has improved with time.
Arthur and Murray are two very exciting players who’ve shown plenty of positive signs in their appearances this year, but Trusty’s performance in the cup tie at Ibrox was his best in a Celtic shirt.
It absolutely should earn him an immediate return to the team.
Amir Mir
I am also in the Arthur boat.
It didn’t sit well with me how Celtic treated Jahmai Simpson-Pusey during his unforgettable six-month loan spell in Glasgow, but he had a higher ceiling than Arthur.
Yet when you watch and analyse Arthur’s displays, he looks comfortable, and a sense that he belongs in the starting XI.
Yes, I understand the calls for Trusty, but you are only as good as your last game, and O’Neill should stick with the on-loan Brentford man because he was very strong against Motherwell last time out and deserves to stay in.
Plus, as the others have said, there is an element of lack of trust in Trusty.
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