Brendan Rodgers admitted that there was an element of risk in the team that he put today against Dundee.
The absence through suspension of Scott Brown was unavoidable but a half-time injury to Tom Rogic, Scott Sinclair on the comeback trail, James Forrest out injured and Moussa Dembele meant that there wasn’t much continuity about the team.
Ryan Christie made a rare start while Cristian Gamboa and Gary Mackay-Steven was given another chance after making his first appearance of the season away to Manchester City in the Champions League.
A 2-1 win stretched Celtic’s lead at the top of the table to 11 points but there were a few nervy moments before the final whistle confirmed another victory.
“It’s where you then really have to trust your squad,” Rodgers told the Celtic website. “What you have to do is ensure that there’s still stability and I have to trust the players. I see them work – they work very, very well and they’ve shown me every time, every day that they learn, they get better and then they come into the game.
“Some of those players haven’t played for a long time – like Nir Bitton, who got tired a little bit towards the end but, in the main, he was very good. Young Ryan Christie coming into the game and getting the full 90 minutes was very good, Gary Mackay-Steven, Cristian Gamboa, Emilio Izaguirre.”
“Leigh Griffiths hasn’t played so much up until the last few games, but it’s credit to them how well they’re working, and I also think it’s the spirit of the team – they really show they want to come together and really fight to perform well and get the result.”
Rogic will have his ankle injury assessed tomorrow but is unlikely to be risked against Partick Thistle on Tuesday or on the plastic of Hamilton Accies next Saturday.
Scott Brown will return to the side against Thistle, taking over the captaincy from today’s stand-in Stuart Armstrong.