Callum McGregor could be available for Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash against Dundee United, but that doesn’t mean he should start.
McGregor has missed the last two games with an injury and Martin O’Neill will be hoping that he will be back in contention to play.
The Celtic captain has been virtually ever-present all season long but the Hoops have already had their first taste of what life without McGregor would be like in the future. There will be a temptation to bring him back into the XI if he is fit, but O’Neill must resist that.
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Celtic can’t keep running Callum McGregor into the ground
This is the second season in a row that McGregor has had to miss games due to the same sort of injury.
His calf strain is a classic sign of being overused and at 32, any sort of recurring setback like that will only cause more problems as he gets older.
By having to play in games like Auchinleck Talbot because of the club’s lack of leaders on the pitch, McGregor has had to suffer the consequences and pick up injuries at crucial points of the season.
Thankfully an international break follows after this weekend’s trip to Tannadice but, even then, the midfielder’s return should be managed accordingly.
Celtic have more than enough in midfield to beat Dundee United
There are concerns that Celtic’s midfield is too one-dimensional, but players have shown that they have other strings to their bow in light of their captain’s absence.
Reo Hatate has played in a deeper role and looked much better when shouldering more responsibility. Hatate put in two great displays at Ibrox and, aside from his error for Motherwell’s goal, did well last week.
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provides the experience and leadership in the middle of the park that McGregor usually offers and then you still have Benjamin Nygren, Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan and Arne Engels (when fit) all to call upon.
It means that the Hoops can be more careful and ensure that their leader is back for the final run of fixtures in this title race.
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