Neil Lennon has dropped a huge hint that Tom Rogic could start tomorrow’s match at home to Ross County.
The midfielder has only made two substitute appearances in the SPFL after missing the start of the season through injury.
With Ryan Christie suspended and Olivier Ntcham an injury doubt the stage looks set for the Australian to make his return to action after a year that has been beset by injury problems.
Speaking to the Celtic website Lennon said:
Ryan’s been outstanding for us, but Tom Rogic is up to speed, and hopefully we’ve got Ntcham even though he’s a bit of a doubt. But Ryan would be a miss for any team right now the way he’s playing. We’ll have to adjust accordingly.
Tom’s a creative type, they’re very similar, and we all know about his pedigree. He’s had his injury lay-off and he’s come back and is in great condition. He would jump at the chance to play if selected, so it’s great having that luxury when you lose a quality player and can bring another one in.
We play Saturday and then the European game isn’t until Thursday, so that’s plenty of time in between. The players want to play and Lazio is a huge game for us in the context of the group, so we want to be as strong as possible.
Celtic have had a fortnight to stew on the defeat at Livingston that cost them top spot going into the international break.
Christie’s suspension is an obvious reminder of that match as the hoops faced their fifth away match out of the opening batch of eight fixtures.
Four of Celtic’s next five SPFL matches are at home giving Lennon’s side the chance to build up some momentum either side of the November international break as well as fixtures in the Europa League and Betfred Cup.
