Cameron Carter-Vickers has been having his injuries managed through this season.
The defender was missing from the Celtic side that beat Livingston 4-2 today- the fifth time this season that he has been out through injury.
Away to Dundee on December 26 he had to come off after 56 minutes, sitting out three matches covering the winter break before returning against Ross County a month later.
That appearance only lasted 64 minutes before another month out with his right hamstring reported as the source of the problem.
With Celtic drawing away to Motherwell on February 25 Carter-Vickers replaced Maik Nawrocki, snuffed out the physical threat of Theo Bair as Celtic scored twice late on to secure full points.
After opening the scoring in the 7-1 win over Dundee then lasting the full 90 plus minutes at Tynecastle last week it seemed that the hamstring issue had been overcome- until today’s team was announced.
Picking up on his pre-match interview with Celtic TV discussing Carter-Vickers, The Sun reports Rodgers saying:
We managed him through the last number of weeks and he got through a full 90 last weekend. We didn’t want to take any risks with him, we have other players who can come in. As a precaution, we take him out, scan the area and hopefully, he’ll be okay.
Celtic struggled in every area during today’s 4-2 win, throughout the match the defence looked vulnerable with both of the goals from the visitors taking advantage of gaps in defence.
At 2-2 only the boot of Joe Hart prevented Livingston from going in front after Michael Livingston got a free header on target from a corner.
Daizen Maeda completed his hat-trick in the 86th to put Celtic into the semi-final draw but it was another unconvincing performance with the influence of Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor exposing the lack of leadership and experience in the side.
While the mantra is always one match at a time Rodgers must have half an eye on the team that he will be fielding at Ibrox on April 7.
Before that Celtic host St Johnstone, enjoy an international break then face Livingston again at the Tony Macaroni Arena on March 31.
That plastic surface isn’t the best for players returning from injury but with options limited Carter-Vickers and McGregor may have to play against Livingston if they are to be match fit for the April 7 match at Ibrox that could go a long way to shaping Celtic’s hopes of retaining the title.
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