Celtic supporters will be excited about what lies ahead as they wait for their side to return after the international break.
Several Bhoys have jetted out to represent their respective nations. Meanwhile, Callum McGregor, among others, will enjoy a well-earned rest while watching his teammates in action.
Either way, Celtic have made a brilliant start to the season and now have a chance to regroup ahead of a busy fixture schedule that runs right up until next January.
Taking your breaks when you have them is the best course of action; the pressure to succeed at Celtic Park never ceases. Brendan Rodgers will have reminded his squad of their responsibilities, it is safe to say.
Excitement looms ahead of Celtic’s battle of juggling domestic football with their latest adventure in the Champions League, which will inevitably breed opportunities for rotation within the group.
Celtic and the opportunity for squad rotation
Once Celtic return after the break, they don’t have many free mid-week slots due to their involvement in the Champions League and Premier Sports Cup.
Further international windows are set to take place in October and November, but their schedule will become clogged between now and the festive period.
A lot of football is there to be played, so expect changes within the line-up on occasion. Post-European fixtures will be subject to this, hence why Rodgers has padded out his squad with new additions in the summer transfer window.
Luke McCowan will be expected to contribute and could be in line for minutes despite competition for places in midfield. Arne Engels is another man supporters would expect to gain plenty of airtime following his big-money £11 million move from Augsburg.
Expecting Viljami Sinisalo to deputise for Kasper Schmeichel on occasion in cup action also isn’t unreasonable. The Finland international has been brought in with long-term thinking in mind. He needs first-team exposure to put into practice everything he is learning from the veteran at Lennoxtown.
Despite the form of Daizen Maeda, James Forrest and Nicolas Kuhn, there is reason to suggest that Luis Palma and Hyunjun Yang will come in from the fringes to contribute despite only experiencing limited time on the field this term.
Alex Valle’s presence in the building is another exciting development for Celtic. For most of last season, Greg Taylor was placed under a heavy workload, which was a risk given the lack of alternatives if he were to become unavailable.
Looking forward, everyone will be given their chance to contribute. Celtic have a long season ahead and must rely on squad depth to see them through.
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