Steve Clarke opens up on chat with Celtic captain Callum McGregor, indicates injury extent

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has had to perform a slight reshuffle to his side over the last few weeks in light of injuries and suspensions.

Unfortunately, Cameron Carter-Vickers missed out on our Scottish Cup victory over Livingston last week due to feeling a twinge in training.

It is unclear when the United States international will be cleared to return, potentially leaving Stephen Welsh and Liam Scales to partner each other in central defence for this weekend’s home clash against St Johnstone.

South Korea international Hyunjun Yang is suspended for the Saints’ visit, meaning either Nicolas Kuhn or James Forrest could be given an opportunity to feature on the right flank.

In the engine room, Tomoki Iwata has filled in for club captain Callum McGregor and is set to continue in the six position due to the latter being ruled out until after the international break with a calf/Achilles problem.

The Scotland international went for a scan that came back ‘inconclusive’, and it appears that the reigning Scottish Premiership champions are playing it by ear regarding his latest setback.

Steve Clarke opens up on chat with Celtic’s Callum McGregor

Yesterday, news broke that McGregor had been left out of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the Tartan Army’s upcoming friendly double-header against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland to focus on his recovery.

Now, the former Kilmarnock manager has revealed he has spoken to the 30-year-old following his injury, offering some clarity on his present situation.

Clarke stated [The Scotsman]: “I had a brief chat with Callum this week because I knew he was going to be missing this camp, but no big issues moving forward, I don’t think.”

Celtic fans will be relieved to hear that McGregor’s ongoing issue is nothing serious, especially when factoring in our upcoming clash against Rangers at Ibrox early next month.

Flourishing from deep, the Lennoxtown graduate has recorded an average Sofascore match rating of 7.39/10 and has created seven big chances for his teammates this term.

Without his influence, the Bhoys aren’t the same team and lack an element of control and dynamism across the middle of the park.

Looking forward, hopefully, McGregor can quickly return to contention. He is set to be a vital player during the busy end-of-season schedule, where will we aim to bring two pieces of silverware back to Parkhead.