Brendan Rodgers has indicated Liam Scales will continue to play as his first-choice centre-back alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, despite all of his defenders now being fit and available.
Scales initially got his opportunity in a Celtic shirt this season due to a significant injury crisis at the club but he’s taken his chance with aplomb and it seems he won’t be shifting any time soon.
Maik Nawrocki has been fit and available for several weeks while Rodgers also has Nat Phillips and Gustaf Lagerbielke to call upon. Even Stephen Welsh has returned to team training after an injury lay-off.
Asked about those not getting a game in defence, described by Chris Sutton as a “puzzling” situation, Rodgers’ message was one of patience and perseverance. He’s laid down a challenge to Scales to continue his stellar form even with the pressure on from his teammates.
The Celtic boss said [The Herald]: “We had the period where we had hardly any centre-backs and now everyone is back available. It is just a case of keeping chipping away for the players that aren’t in the squad, and for them to continue to work hard. That is all you can do. Work hard, and then see where it takes us.
“Liam Scales has done brilliant. He is worthy of playing, and has shown great consistency in stepping up when he had to play. His next period is about then playing under pressure, and I mean with players coming back. That is a different challenge.
“It is okay playing when there is no-one available but then playing when they are all back available and still at the same level is good. Those players in the background just have to work and be ready for when, and if, an opportunity comes.”
I’m sure some would have expected to see Nawrocki make a bigger push into Rodgers’ plans following his return from injury. He did feature on the bench against St Mirren on Wednesday night, suggesting he is inching closer.
However, the fact Phillips played in that game alongside Scales tells us that the Polish signing is a bit further down the pecking order than many of us assumed upon his arrival.
Lagerbielke is even more distant from the action and it seems he has work to do to convince Rodgers he should even be in matchday squads, never mind getting minutes.
The onus is on all of these players to impress the manager, not the other way around. For now, Scales is proving to be a dependable option.