The case for Maik Nawrocki to be involved during Celtic’s fixture pile-up

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Celtic head into the weekend keen on maintaining their advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership away to St Johnstone tomorrow evening.

The Bhoys have made a flawless start to the league this term and have yet to concede a single goal. If they emerge unblemished from McDiarmid Park, they could break a 118-year clean sheet record in Perth.

However, Celtic will have to do without Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has been sidelined this weekend due to a foot injury. As Brendan Rodgers explained in his pre-St Johnstone press conference, his chances of featuring against Borussia Dortmund next week hang in the balance.

He stated: “Hopefully it’ll settle down quickly and we’ll see where it’s at for Tuesday. It’s difficult to tell. We’re just concentrating on this game and then we’ll see where he is on Sunday or Monday.”

Auston Trusty could retain his place from last week’s victory over Falkirk. With a heavy fixture schedule in mind, there may be an opportunity for another of Celtic’s central defenders to stake a claim.

Maik Nawrocki’s availability could lead to Celtic minutes

Following the Bhoys’ trip to Signal Iduna Park in the Champions League, a tricky test at Ross County awaits before the next set of international fixtures.

Once Celtic return for the resumption of club football, Maik Nawrocki could emerge as an interesting option in defence due to the balance he offers as a right-sided centre-back.

Rarely seen during his first season at the club, the Poland Under-21 cap has made just 13 appearances in total for Celtic.

Unfortunately, injuries have led him down a frustrating path, and his future was at a touch-and-go stage in the summer after reports suggested he may be allowed to leave on loan before the transfer deadline.

Last week, Nawrocki emerged from the bench to claim his first minutes of the season against Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup, could this be a sign of what is to come in the next few month?

Celtic’s defensive balance and getting value from Nawrocki

It is worth remembering that Celtic paid the princely sum of £4.3 million to sign Nawrocki from Legia Warsaw last summer, which shouldn’t be wasted.

Even if he is on hand as an occasional rotation option, there is scope for him to be involved after one or two bright showings last term in a campaign blighted by injuries.

Defensive balance is key to forming the foundations for success. For instance, should Liam Scales start alongside Trusty tomorrow against St Johnstone, both are naturally left-sided central defenders.

Nawrocki is right-sided and proficient in the art of ball progression, having chalked up a pass accuracy rate of 88% in the opposition half across the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign. If he can keep himself fit, there are worse ideas out there for Celtic than the Pole earning some minutes.