Celtic are firmly into the international break and several of their star men are in action with their respective nations following a bright start to the campaign.
Scotland take on Poland tonight and initially, Greg Taylor, Anthony Ralston and James Forrest were called into Steve Clarke’s squad for their Nations League fixtures against Poland and Portugal.
Meanwhile, Callum McGregor is enjoying life without bearing the responsibility of featuring in the engine room for his country after retiring from international duty.
However, news broke earlier this week that Taylor and Forrest had pulled out, though there was no real explanation regarding why they had been omitted from the reckoning.
Now, Clarke has moved to explain the decision after both players were involved in Celtic’s Glasgow Derby triumph over Rangers last weekend.
Steve Clarke on Greg Taylor and James Forrest
Per The Scotsman, Clarke has explained that the decision was taken after Scotland medics assessed both players and they revealed that the pair were carrying knocks, though he insisted there are ‘no dramas’ to be worried about on that front.
He stated: “By the same token, the two boys from Celtic who played at the weekend came in on Sunday night, got assessed by our medics and were sent home. It’s easy because they’re in Glasgow. So no big drama on that one.”
Ultimately, niggles can be fairly commonplace heading into the international break, and it is sometimes best to give players a little rest before they are thrust back into the rigours of club duty.
Neither Forrest nor Taylor looked to be in noticeable discomfort against Rangers last weekend, but if either are carrying anything, it is best to get it looked at and rectified before a busy fixture schedule gets underway for Celtic.
Hopefully, the measure has been taken as nothing more than a precaution and both can return to play a key role under Brendan Rodgers on the other side of the Nations League fixtures.
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