SCOTLAND won in nervous circumstances last night, beating Israel on penalties after the teams could not be separated over 120 minutes. One man that played every one of those minutes was Celtic’s Callum McGregor. The tenacious midfielder is a mainstay in the Celtic and Scotland Starting XI and after this result, Steve Clarke should let him go home and enjoy a few days off.
Celtic have already lost Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard to isolation as a result of the international break and having McGregor back to Lennoxtown would be a huge source of comfort to Neil Lennon and all the Celtic support. He is an integral part of the club but also one of the most consistent in terms of performance.
Whilst there are six players injured, Paul McGinn and Ross McCrorie have been called up and there is depth in the central midfield with McTominay, McLean and Jack all available. Steve Clarke is expected to call up another attacker and midfielder but should give McGregor the games off – if he chooses not to send him home.
McGregor played all of Celtic’s games this season, missing just 16 minutes after being substituted. He has played an enormous amount of football, racking up 4476 minutes last year and 5062 minutes the previous year. His stats are phenomenal and even last night, he was chasing every ball.
Steve Clarke will desperately want him fit for the game versus Serbia next month and Neil Lennon will want McGregor to be well rested for the game against Rangers. This could create an opportunity for Clarke to release McGregor early instead of risking him in two Nation League matches. This could mean managing McGregor’s game time for Celtic and subbing him off if a game is already won.
