Foundation, Jozo, rest or pay consequences

Over 100 volunteers will be at and around Celtic Park tomorrow for the Foundation bucket collection. Do me a favour, thank them for what they’re doing on our behalf. The work of the Foundation is changing lives for the better. This month it reaches parts of our own community who really need the help. It’s a great thing.

It’s no surprise Jozo Simunovic is attracting interest. After an injury-riddled start to his Celtic career he’s shown why we paid so much money for him. Torino could have had him in the summer for the same price we bought him, but that opportunity passed. Since then Jozo’s never looked back. It’s unlikely the Italian’s budget stretches to his current value.

You’ll remember the discord here when he signed in summer 2015. Even then he had an injury record, while a Guardian journo from the Balkans rubbished him. Right now he’s the same age (22) Virgil van Dijk was when he joined Celtic, and he’s a better player than Virgil was at this stage.

Paul Hartley’s Dundee were in the middle of a six game losing streak when we beat them 0-1 at Dens in October. Since then they’ve lost only one in six, to a 92nd minute goal at Ibrox, so you know we’ll be forced to work for whatever we get.

I’m also concerned about playing our fifth game in 14 days, and for the congestion that lies ahead. We will need to rest limbs or pay the consequence.

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