Former Celtic star Chris Sutton has passed judgement on who he believes to be Celtic’s most important player, and it’s a surprising choice from the 49-year-old.
One might reasonably expect the ex-attacker to choose one of Celtic’s forward players who have lit up the Scottish Premiership this season such as Kyogo, or Jota, but Sutton instead opted for a defender.
In his column for The Daily Record yesterday, Sutton wrote: “Cameron Carter-Vickers is Celtic’s most important player. I’m not saying he’s the most skilful or the most talented in terms of ability. That’s a label reserved for a Callum McGregor or a Jota. But, in terms of importance to the side and being missed when he isn’t there, Carter-Vickers has long been in the irreplaceable category. That’s why shelling out £6 million in the summer to get him permanently was a key priority.”
Carter-Vickers missed the 2-0 defeat to St Mirren in Paisley last Sunday through injury, and Sutton insisted that the American defender’s extended absence could be fatal to Celtic’s Champions League campaign.
He wrote: “If they were to lose him for the upcoming double-header against RB Leipzig, it would be a brutal blow for the team in terms of Celtic’s Champions League qualification ambitions.
“You only had to look at events in Paisley last weekend to see what happens when he’s not around. One goal lost in the Premiership in six games up to that point with the American international at the heart of the backline.
“Take him out for just 90 minutes, two are lost and so is the game. I don’t want to be hammering Stephen Welsh, but, quite frankly, Celtic don’t lose that second goal against St Mirren if Carter-Vickers is there.
“He deals with that ball on his six-yard line. Postecoglou needs him back and he needs him back urgently. Any extended absence would be a nightmare for the manager.”
Carter-Vickers injury ruled him out of the USA’s friendlies against Japan, in which he would have faced off against teammate Daizen Maeda, and Saudi Arabia, the national team’s final games before their World Cup curtain-raiser against Wales on the 21st of November.
The Scottish champions are of course also missing Carl Starfelt after his injury in the Glasgow derby annihilation of Rangers left him on the sidelines for the opening two Champions League games against Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as the defeat in Paisley.
Everyone associated with Celtic will hope that both first choice centre halves aren’t too far away from a return after the international break, with a run of seismic fixtures upcoming for Postecoglou’s side in the next six weeks before the Premiership furloughs for the World Cup.
In other news: Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou lands back in Glasgow ahead of big week at Lennoxtown
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
