‘Huge’… Pat Bonner hopes 25-year-old Celtic player is fit for Rangers game now

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Celtic’s win over Dundee may have come at a huge cost for Brendan Rodgers yesterday afternoon.

Picking up a vital three points, it could be that Cameron Carter-Vickers might miss the Rangers game after being taken off as a precaution at Dens Park.

The Celtic manager said the US defender felt his hamstring get a little tight early into the second half and Rodgers replaced the 25-year-old with Stephen Welsh.

And this was something that seriously concerned former Celtic hero, Pat Bonner. On punditry duty with the BBC, Bonner was worried that Carter-Vickers may not be fit enough for the Rangers game and floated two names that he thinks might replace him if needed.

Bonner said [BBC], “Carter-Vickers is huge. Not just his defensive qualities but on the ball too. He can start attacks, he’s got pace and he’s strong.

“Are they vulnerable from set-pieces? It’s something Rangers might capitalise on.

“So it will be interesting to see if he’s not going to make it, will it be Welsh or Nawrocki that come in?”

Who could replace Carter-Vickers for Celtic vs Rangers

Out of all of the defenders Celtic currently have, it would need to be Stephen Welsh who would step in.

There is no chance Maik Nawrocki will be drafted into a game of such importance after a lengthy spell out injured. And after Rodgers’ recent comments regarding the Polish u21 international, it could be some time before he is chosen to play.

Nat Phillips‘ time at Celtic is over. Rodgers is highly unlikely to play Phillips in what would be his last game for Celtic before returning to Liverpool.

Gustaf Lagerbielke is so far out of the picture at Celtic he now looks to be on his way out in January. After his match-winning appearance against Feyenoord, the Swedish Defender of the Year is nowhere to be seen.

Which leaves just Welsh. It’s quite an incredible tale and the young Scot’s story this season is almost a carbon copy of Liam Scales‘.

Being asked to step in to cover injuries, Welsh hasn’t put a foot wrong and I am certain Rodgers will have no hesitation in throwing him in against Rangers should Carter-Vickers fail to be declared fit.

In other news, Scott Brown says Celtic have a player who’s starting to remind him of Virgil van Dijk