Tom Rogic’s Celtic challenge has just got a lot harder

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Rogic vs Christie is looking like being a tasty battle this season in the race for the number 10 jersey.

The Aussie continues to go through rehab for the ankle injury he picked up in the Scottish Cup final back in May. Neil Lennon revealed in his press conference yesterday that there was no return date for Rogic as of yet (Celtic TV).

Meanwhile, Christie has been absolutely storming it to start off the campaign. His opening goal against Sarajevo last week only kicked things off. Tonight against Nomme Kalju, however, he burst into new life and took his game to another level.

The first choice number 10 slotted home a fine penalty after a handball in the box. He then curled home a sublime effort from around 25 yards out in the second half. It was a tremendous effort from Christie, but it wasn’t just his goals that made his performance stand out.

At the moment, he’s the driving force in this Celtic side. He’s dropping deep and always making himself available. And when he does that, he often finds team-mates to help combine the play and cut open the opposition.

Rogic vs Christie will hopefully be a quality-filled battle

So much came from Christie tonight. He’s starting to have a strong spell in this Celtic side with no injury concerns. In addition to that, he lacks the greed that would make him a more frustrating player to watch. He’s consistently looking for those around him to see who’s in a better position, and the responsibility he’s taking on his shoulders is substantial.

As it stands, the longer Rogic is out, the more difficult it’s going to be to take Christie’s place in this side. We haven’t seen the Wizard of Oz at all this season due to injury. But with the form Christie is in, it’s going to be supremely difficult to overtake him in the starting XI.

What it should lead to is a tremendous battle for the number 10 spot over the course of the season. Rogic has it in him to raise his game to the level Christie is operating at, and that bodes well for the Hoops.

After all, we’ve lacked competition in that area for too long. If both Rogic and Christie can keep performing and force the other to raise their respective games, that’s a massive plus for our creativity levels.

But at the moment, Rogic’s chances of getting back into the side are minimal. Christie has the jersey, and it’s going to take some effort from big Tam to replace him.