Brendan Rodgers has faced a challenging season at Celtic, navigating through a series of injuries that have impacted key players, including Callum McGregor, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Daizen Maeda, Luis Palma, and most recently, Liam Scales.
These setbacks have tested Celtic’s depth, with Scales’ absence in the recent victory over St Johnstone and his withdrawal from national team duties raising concerns among fans about the severity of his injury.
He’s played in nearly every game for Celtic this season, including the Champions League, not something any fans expected last summer.
Despite these hurdles, Rodgers remains optimistic. Celtic has organised a closed-doors friendly during the international break, aiming to provide valuable match fitness for returning players like Scales, Hatate, and potentially McGregor.
The Celtic boss said that Liam Scales should be back for the Livingston match after the break.
He said: [Daily Record] “It’s just been one of those seasons. Players have picked up funny little injuries – like Reo who was coming back and then picked one up with his international team. We’ve been close to getting everyone back and around it. There was a little period there. But it hasn’t sort of happened yet.
“The important thing is we are still there, still fighting and still in a really good place. Then we will go into the last leg of the race, which I’m looking forward to.”
You’d expect Rodgers to give Scales his spot in the team back, with the manager rating him highly. There’s almost no chance that Lagerbielke will be given the chance to make the jersey his own, and Stephen Welsh will drop to the bench to accommodate Scales’ return. Nawrocki is still injured, while Callum McGregor has recently returned from a knock.
