Gordon Dalziel says Brendan Rodgers may trust Liam Scales over Auston Trusty for Celtic in one area

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Auston Trusty trading places with Liam Scales in Celtic’s Premier Sports Cup final victory over Rangers last weekend has become a talking point in the days after what was another glorious Hampden victory.

Brendan Rodgers made the unusual decision to swap one part of his centre-half pairing against his arch rivals, which ultimately paid dividends as the Hoops secured cup glory.

Post-match, Rodgers admitted Scales coming in for Trusty was tactical, stating: “I just felt that he’s had the experience of playing in finals for us now, Liam. I just made that change and he came in and he was able to clean the game up.”

Of course, the Irish defender was involved in a Rangers penalty claim that has stoked controversy as being defeated was a tough pill to swallow for some, but social media is rife with conversations on that debate for those interested.

After Celtic recorded another trophy, Gordon Dalziel has made an intriguing comparison regarding Scales and teammate Trusty.

Gordon Dalziel on the area Rodgers may prefer Scales to Trusty

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Dalziel believes Rodgers may prefer Scales’ work in possession to his defensive colleague Trusty’s on-ball capability.

He explained: “I don’t know what Mark thinks, but I think that Scales coming forward with the ball, I didn’t think he was particularly good when he came on I’ve got to say.

“But coming forward, I think Brendan Rodgers thinks he’s a better player stepping into the middle of the park.

“I think Trusty is a very good defender. I think he’s top quality at times, but every time he stepped into the middle of the park, he looked like he was in panic at the situation and he was giving the ball away. To be fair, he wasn’t the only one; let’s be honest about it. I was not surprised with that.”

Celtic have plenty of central defensive options to choose from

Last weekend’s cup final wasn’t a match for either defensive line in what was a chaotic affair at Hampden littered with opportunities.

However, Celtic have a large quantity of central defenders able to step in when needed. Aside from the two already mentioned, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki can also steady the ship.

Whether much changes on that front in January remains to be seen. Scales and Trusty have both excelled for the majority of the season, so whoever wins that battle is solely up to the manager.