Ange Postecoglou might do Celtic a favour ahead of the League Cup final on Sunday.
Rangers will welcome Postecoglou’s Tottenham to Ibrox on Thursday night for a Europa League encounter and the Celtic hero could get the better of his old rivals again.
If that happens, then the Australian will further weaken Philippe Clement’s men for the main event at Hampden.
Brendan Rodgers heads into that game with his tail up and raring to win the first trophy of the season.
Celtic drew 0-0 with Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday night and the manager named his strongest possible XI.
But it may have come at a slight cost because regular right-back Alistair Johnston was forced off at half-time with a hip issue.
It remains to be seen if he will be fit for the weekend, but if he isn’t, then Peter Grant is more than happy for his back-up to step up.
Peter Grant says he ‘wouldn’t like’ to play against Celtic’s Anthony Ralston
Anthony Ralston has earned more minutes and starts for Scotland this season than he has at club level – started six UEFA Nations League matches.
In comparison, he has only started two matches in all competitions on the domestic stage, but if Johnston is still injured, then he will be thrown straight into the deep end.
That doesn’t worry Grant and he backed it happening, and also explained how he ‘wouldn’t like’ to play against the ‘aggressive’ fullback, as he told Go Radio.
“Yeah, you expect him (Johnston) for the cup final,” said Grant. “That’s the one thing you look for in a cup final is everybody fully fit.
“If Alistair is fit, then great. I thought Tony Ralston, again come on, I thought he had a couple of shaky moments, but all in all, you know what you are going to get from him. The one thing I keep saying about him, I wouldn’t like to play against him, because he is one of these aggressive defenders who stops you, gets in against you and gives everything.
“He is a fantastic back-up for Alistair Johnston, so hopefully, Johnston will be fit, but I will have no qualms if Ralston has to be the one that plays.”
Ralston’s minutes for Celtic this season
If Ralston is starting Celtic’s League Cup final against Rangers, then it’s helped that he got the engine going in Croatia’s capital ahead of that showpiece event.
Johnston has been very consistent for Celtic, so in that regard, he has big shoes to fill, but he is old enough and wise enough to do that.
Yes, his lack of minutes at Celtic this season might be a worry, but this is where you hope experience kicks in, with 326 minutes played, as posted by Transfermarkt.
| Competition | Apps | Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Premiership | 7 | 174′ |
 | UEFA Champions League | 3 | 62′ |
 | League Cup | 1 | 90′ |
| Total 24/25: | 11 | 326′ | |
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