Injury news is never good news, no matter how well we might try to spin it.
But sometimes it affords us a rare opportunity.
I wonder if the news about Greg Taylor isn’t one of those times.
As bad as we feel for Greg, it has afforded us a chance to experiment.
The last time Celtic benefited from an injury in a key area it was because it brought Ryan Christie out of mothballs and gave him a start in a critical cup game against Hearts. He was the man of the match, scored a peach of a goal and he never looked back from it.
This time it’s unlikely that a star is going to rise out of obscurity; on the left side we know pretty much what we have at the club.
But that’s where the interesting chance comes in. Having gone with Adam Montgomery and flirted with Bolingoli, the place is now being occupied by Juranovic who was signed for the other side of the pitch.
There, let him stay.
Is a Juranovic-Ralston bookended back line our strongest combination?
Or will Ralston be dropped and Taylor-Juranovic tried out instead when Greg is back fit?
I personally reckon that the current set-up is far and away the better of the two and whilst it’s never ideal to have a new signing playing out of position, he seems to have taken to it well.
On top of that, Ralston doesn’t deserve to be dropped. He’s been excellent. He has adapted to what Ange is trying to do as well as, if not better than, any other player in the team. He’s made that spot his own, it’s the place on the other side that’s up for grabs.
The manager has been spared a difficult choice on the right side.
He would have made it – that much is evident – without fear or favour, but it’s hard not to wonder if we’ve arrived, accidently, at the right outcome after all.
The left of our defence is an area where we still need that player with the “wow” factor, and that means buying one.
But until then, we have a pretty decent player in that position and a settled defensive unit for the first time in a while.
Let’s not mess with that, Celtic, let’s keep it as it is.
I am not one for square pegs to fit round holes. A left back / wingback needs a left footed player. I like Greg Taylor, I think he’s a fully committed player but does have limitations. Bolongoli can GTF as far as I am concerned, he’s burned his chips with Celtic. Give Liam Scales a go surely before Taylor is back. If he’s good enough, let him and Taylor compete for that spot and Juranovic / Ralston can compete for the right hand side of the park. That’s what having a squad is all about, no?