It looks like Mikael Lustig’s time at Celtic looks to be coming to an end. The Hoops right-back didn’t feature at any stage of the 1-0 loss to Valencia, even though the situation looked made for him.
Lustig’s replacement in the Hoops side, Jeremy Toljan, was sent-off in the 37th minute of the game. But despite having a natural replacement in Lustig on the bench Brendan Rodgers decided not to bring him on.
No longer in plans
That looks a fairly ominous sign that Lustig is no longer in the manager’s plans. And to be fair it is understandable. The Hoops have been looking for a right-back for a while. And Toljan seems to the solution until the end of the season.
Lustig has been a great servant for the Hoops. He has won 14 trophies since joining the Hoops in 2012. Indeed, he has been a regular for the Hoops this season, making 33 appearances so far.
Best days are behind him
However, a poor performance in the 1-0 loss to Rangers in December seemed to be a big warning sign that his best days are behind him.
It should also be remembered that his contract runs out at the end of the season, and that seems like the perfect time for the player to move on.
He is at the veteran stage of his career, and Malmo were recently linked with a move for Lustig. A return to Sweden to end his career would be the ideal move, and he would leave Celtic as a fan favourite and club legend.
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