Maik Nawrocki looks like returning to the Celtic Starting XI for the first time since the end of January when the hoops drew 1-1 away to Aberdeen.
An injury to Liam Scales has opened the dor to the young Polish defender who was Celtic’s most expensive summer signing when a £4m deal with Legia Warsaw secured his signature on the eve of the new season.
With Carl Starfelt angling for a move it looked like a straight replacement with Nawrocki having youth on his side, arriving at Celtic at the age of 22 after two solid seasons with Legia.
The best laid plans fell to pieces in the space of eight days as Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and then Nawrocki were injured towards the end of the summer transfer window with Nat Phillips drafted in on loan to patch things up.
Nawrocki was left out of Celtic’s Champions League squad and had to wait more than four months for his first taste of action after his hamstring injury late on in the League Cup defeat at Kilmarnock.
When Stephen Welsh injured his shoulder late on in the first half of the December 30 Nawrocki was pitched into the match and came through with flying colours.
Suddenly Celtic’s central defensive problems appeared to be easing, Liam Scales and Nawrocki looked secure with Carter-Vickers hopefully about to return free from injury.
At Friday’s media conference Rodgers revealed that Scales had picked up a muscle injury following last week’s 3-3 draw at Ibrox, it now looks certain that Nawrocki will return to parter CCV, bringing together the central defensive partnership that started the season in the 4-2 home win over Ross County.
Nawrocki came off the bench for 30 minutes away to Hibs on February 7 then got an hour in the 3-1 win away to Motherwell on February 25 but hasn’t played since.
Now at the business end of the season he looks like getting the chance to forge a partnership with CCV, it is no exaggeration to say that every match from now until the end of the season is a cup final for Celtic.
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CLICK HERE for Nawrocki’s Transfermarkt profile.
