According to the latest reports from the Daily Record, Celtic’s star left-back Kieran Tierney is set to be available for the upcoming derby against Rangers. There were significant doubts regarding Tierney’s availability as the defender had pulled out from Scotland’s squad for the tie against Kazakhstan. He later returned to Glasgow missing out the tie against San Marino as well.
However, Neil Lennon is definitely set to get a massive boost as the 21-year-old has recovered from his recurring hip issue. Tierney had even missed the last derby due to injury and Celtic succumbed to a defeat at Ibrox. Knowing the defender, he would have dreaded missing another game of this nature. The fans would be delighted to see their star available to start.
Lennon would have faced a massive dilemma if Tierney was going to miss out as Emilio Izaguirre has struggled on most occasions this season. So much so that Rodgers used his midfielder Callum McGregor in the left back spot ahead of the Honduran international in the last Old Firm derby as he didn’t trust Izaguirre enough to do a job at the back.
Rodgers though would have been better off using Izaguirre as a left back as McGregor’s ball playing abilities were wasted down the left. Lennon doesn’t need to worry about that now as Tierney is likely to declare himself fit enough to start against the Gers.
A win for Celtic will more or less wrap the title as the Hoops can go as much as 13 points clear on the top of the table. On the other hand, Rangers would hope for a win to keep their minor hopes of upsetting Celtic alive. Last season, Rangers finished 12 points behind Celtic on the third place, and if Celtic manages to maintain a similar kind of gap, then that would be a major slap on this ‘new Gerrard’s Rangers’ face.
With Tierney available on the left, Rangers can have a tough time defensively as well as on the attacking front. The Scottish international loves to drive the ball forward from the back and he can be a big nuisance with his overlapping run. Apart from that, he is a top quality defender, and his commitment and tenacity are often what is required in games of these nature.
All in all, this is a massive boost for Lennon as he too would like to get the victory as that might mean that he could be that much closer to the permanent job in the summer. However, a loss against Rangers in the derby might sway the board and the fans to look for better alternatives.
