When Neil Lennon decided not to field Christopher Jullien vs Cluj last month, it left many supporters disappointed.
It was perhaps compounded even more by the fact that Celtic looked totally disorganised at the back. Instead, it was Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic who were partnered at the back. A solid enough pairing, but Simunovic especially had a rough night as Celtic infamously lost out 4-3 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate.
But despite his omission from that one, there’s next to no chance that Jullien doesn’t play on Thursday night. Since the Champions League exit to the Romanians, Jullien has solidified himself as the number one centre-back at Parkhead. He’s managed to be a part of convincing wins against the likes of AIK and Rangers, whilst playing a key part in the 1-1 draw with Rennes two weeks ago.
Jullien, however, has finally opened up on why he was left out on that bitter August night. Speaking in the Daily Record, the big man had this to say:
“The last time we played them was a crazy game. We had a lot of chances to win. We just came up short, losing 4-3, but we know what we have in front of us and will be ready.
“Like every player, you don’t like to be left out of big games. It was the choice of the coach. He decided I was not ready or fit enough and I told him I totally agreed with his decision. The team he chose was the best to go out and compete.
“Confidence has made all the difference. When you play the way we are now, winning a lot of games, you have that fighting spirit.”
No mistakes expected on Thursday night
Anything other than a victory on Thursday night wouldn’t be disastrous, but it would be extremely disappointing. Celtic could put themselves in an incredibly healthy position in the group by the close of matchday three in a couple of weeks’ time.
After the Cluj contest, Celtic host Lazio at Parkhead. The Serie A side’s defeat in Romania proves they can be got at away from home. Two victories over Cluj and Lazio puts Celtic in a sparkling position on seven points.
However, talking too much about games ahead can be a dangerous business. Seldom do we start a group in good form. Now, we have a glorious chance to break that trend. And it all must start with three points against Cluj this week.
Having Jullien in there this time around could make all the difference too. The big Frenchman was missed in the 4-3 defeat earlier on this summer. You could guarantee with him in there that the likes of George Tucudean and Bilel Omrani wouldn’t have had the joy they did.
Even without Jullien, many Celtic fans would’ve expected to see off Cluj fairly comfortably at Parkhead. The fact we didn’t, however, makes the build-up to Thursday night all the more interesting.
It’s clear that Lennon simply didn’t feel that Jullien was ready to face Cluj. Whether that be down to fitness issues or not is neither here nor there. The fact is he’ll most likely be playing on Thursday, and Cluj can expect a much stiffer challenge with him in there.
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