Nir Bitton last played for Celtic in February against Kilmarnock where they suffered a 1-0 defeat. Britton suffered a significant injury to his knee and has missed close to seven months of football since then. However, Brendan Rodgers recently revealed that he is working on rehabilitation and could return into action after the next international break.
The manager said,”It will probably be after the next international break before he’s back. He had a minor setback that puts him back a couple of weeks but he’s working tirelessly to get back. He’ll be great for us when he’s back but he’s still a little bit of time away.”
The Israeli midfielder-turned-defender was a regular in Rodgers’ side up until an unfortunate season-ending injury. Bitton is traditionally a defensive midfielder but he found success as a centre back in Celtic’s lineup and that is where he played most of his games last season. Before the injury, he made 23 appearances in all competitions.
The 26-year-old joined the Celts in 2013 and has made close to 170 appearances for the team since then. The defender played a crucial part in Rodgers’ double treble side and it will be interesting to see whether he would be able to break into the team after his comeback.
Rodgers however, slightly downplayed the expectation of his return by saying,”Normally they say that if you’re out for six months it’s a similar period until you are back to where you left off. It will be nice to get him on the pitch. Whether or not he plays he’s a great influence on the group. He’s highly respected and we want him back ASAP.”
The 6ft5 defender succeeded in the centre back role, given his physical presence and aerial prowess. He is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, which allowed Rodgers to set his side to build up attacks from the back.
However, the Hoops have been defensively stern in recent games, keeping five clean sheets in a row. The arrival of Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata to the eleven has made an enormous difference and the two seem to be forming a decent partnership. Apart from them, the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Jack Hendry are also available, so the Hoops are well covered in the centre back position at the moment.
Getting Bitton back to full fitness will have a positive impact on the side as he will add competition for places. As Rodgers said, the defender seems to have good camaraderie with everyone in the camp. One might not see him in action regularly this year, but when he is back fully fit, we could expect him to play an essential role in the squad.
