Pat Bonner explains why he was ‘surprised’ Viljami Sinisalo didn’t get his Celtic debut vs Hibernian

Add as preferred source on Google

Pat Bonner has explained why he was ‘surprised’ that Viljami Sinisalo didn’t make his Celtic debut against Hibs in the League Cup.

Brendan Rodgers’ side beat Hibs 3-1 after repeating their blistering start from Easter Road last week at Celtic Park yesterday as they booked their place in the quarter-final of the League Cup.

A double from the makeshift striker, Daizen Maeda, was complimented by another strike from Nicolas Kuhn as Celtic continues their impressive start of the new season.

However, it was the exclusion of Viljami Sinisalo that left former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner ‘surprised’ as he explains why he was shocked that the young Finnish international didn’t make his debut against the capital club.

Bonner wants to see Sinisalo’s Celtic ‘qualities’

Brendan Rodgers opted to stick with Kasper Schmeichel between the sticks against David Gray’s team as the big Dane conceded his first goal of the season.

But Bonner was keen to see Sinisalo make his first appearances for the Hoops just to see what the 22-year-old could bring to the table.

Bonner said on BBC Radio Scotland, “I was surprised, actually, that he didn’t play the goalkeeper, Sinisalo, the young man that he brought in.

“Scott Bain, what a good position to be third choice at Celtic. When’s he going to play, Scott Bain? When is he going to get a game now that’s going to be the question.

“I think, probably, he wants Kasper Schmeichel just to blend into the team, to get a bit of focus on and get a relationship built up with his defenders and over the next period and maybe ask why he hasn’t made a change.

“But I would have liked to have seen the other young goalkeeper, just to see if he has got the qualities, the confidence that he will be the future Celtic goalkeeper in the next couple of years.

“It would be lovely to see the young man come in and do something.”

No need to rush Sinisalo’s Celtic debut

Whilst it is understandable to see why Bonner wanted to see the youngster make his debut, there is plenty of time to see Sinisalo make his first appearance for Celtic.

Despite being at Celtic Park, the game against Hibs was not the time to through Sinisalo in for his debut as Rodgers would not have wanted to risk a repeat of last season with another early cup exit.

And as Bonner rightly points out, Schmeichel still needs to bed and be tested in this Celtic team and taking him out so early in the season might have been counter-productive for the Danish international.

With plenty of games left of the season, Sinisalo will get his debut soon and the Hoops boss may well see the quarter-final against Falkirk at Celtic Park as the ideal game to do that.