Jozo Simunovic could have a big chance to make his Celtic case

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Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic could now have the perfect chance to put his case forward for next season.

There wouldn’t have been anyone inside Parkhead jumping with joy at Dedryck Boyata limping off against Rangers yesterday. But you could forgive Simunovic for thinking about how it affects him.

John Kennedy today revealed that Celtic have yet to assess Boyata. He will apparently be looked at over the next 24 hours, and hopefully, Neil Lennon will provide us with an assessment.

Of course, it certainly doesn’t look good for the Belgian. Kennedy did confirm that it was a hamstring injury, and if it’s a tear, we can forget seeing him for the rest of the campaign.

Filip Benkovic, meanwhile, also failed to make the squad against Rangers. His omission wasn’t explained after the game by Lennon or Kennedy.

Therefore, the ball could very well be in Simunovic’s court. He is the only viable first-team centre-back contracted to be here next season outside of Kristoffer Ajer.

No reason he can’t impress

He’s made just 21 appearances this term. But, if he can impress between now and the end of the season, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t be one of the first choices next season.

He and Ajer could very well have the chance to build up a partnership over the next month and a half. With seven games remaining in the Premiership, and hopefully two more Scottish Cup matches, Simunovic could have plenty of time to shine.

It all depends on whether Lennon feels he can risk not playing Benkovic over Simunovic. Celtic’s season can’t afford to fade out, particularly with Lennon’s chances of the job on the line.

But Simunovic at his best should be able to deal with anything Scotland has to throw at him. He was an integral part of the invincible treble winners of 2017. During that campaign, he racked up 33 outings under Brendan Rodgers.

And given the fact that Boyata and Benkovic may not be here next season, it’s probably worth throwing Simunovic in too.

Of course, Celtic still need recruitment at centre-back in the summer. Outside of Ajer and Simunovic, only Jack Hendry would be available as an alternative.

With the Champions League qualifiers for Celtic kicking off in July, having a settled partnership would be ideal. At the moment, only Simunovic and Ajer could provide this.

Will Lennon decide to trust Simunovic should Boyata be out for the season? Or should he turn to Benkovic as soon as he’s ready to return to action? Let us know your verdict on the defensive situation between now and the summer in the comments below.