Tom Rogic may be left out of the starting line-up for Celtic’s trip to Motherwell on Saturday afternoon after his international exertions, The Celtic Way’s Andy Bargh reckons.
The lowdown
Celtic find themselves sixth in the table ahead of the 15.00 kick-off at Fir Park, having drawn one and lost three of their first eight matches.
Rogic has featured in all of those matches, starting four. He’s scored one goal and provided one assist so far (via WhoScored).
No player in the Celtic squad (who’s started a match) has completed more dribbles per 90 minutes than Rogic’s 1.9.
Manager Ange Postecoglou has hailed him a ‘special’ player, while James Forrest said in August that the 28-year-old had been ‘exceptional’ since his compatriot took charge.
But Rogic may be tired after playing 145 minutes for Australia across their two World Cup qualifiers during the international break.
The latest
Bargh pondered whether Rogic would ‘come straight back into the fold after hours of travelling and time on the pitch’.
“I think not,” he wrote, “and that James McCarthy will play behind McGregor and Turnbull.”
The verdict
Rogic was substituted off in both games, but the travelling may have been just as exhausting. He went from Scotland to Australia, and from Australia to Japan before heading home to Glasgow.
If McCarthy does feature in the line-up, it may not fill Hoops fans with confidence. He’s had a difficult start to life in Glasgow, having reportedly struggled with the intensity of Postecoglou’s training sessions at Lennoxtown.
In other news, the treatment of this player has left Celtic unhappy.
