GREG TAYLOR reckons Celtic are in with a shout with nine league games and, hopefully, three Scottish Cup-ties to play before the final curtain comes down on a rollercoaster season.
Skipper Callum McGregor will miss the visit of St Johnstone tomorow afternoon, but his stand-in captain Cameron Carter-Vickers is poised to return to take his place in central defence.
With both of the team’s onfield leaders missing in recent games, the onus has been on the likes of the more seasoned Hoops performers such as Scotland international Taylor to take over the mantle of responsibility and be a bit more vocal.
IT’S GOOD TO TALK…Greg Taylor hopes to have the final say against St Johnstone.
The left-back said: “I don’t know if it’s about talking more, I talk regularly as it is!
“But I understand it is part and parcel of being one of the more experienced ones and being here for the bit longer, that you need to take on more roles and responsibilities.
“We spoke about it in the last game, that’s important because obviously you’re missing Callum. He’s our captain and he’s the most vocal, he’s the leader, he speaks so well, and then you’ve got Cameron who is probably a different type of leader.
“He leads by example, so I think we understood that it’s important that the rest of us try to help when they’re gone.”
Republic of Ireland international defender Liam Scales is the latest to drop out through injury, so boss Brendan Rodgers will be forced to rejig his back four once more.
OUT OF THE RUNNING…Liam Scales will miss the visit of St Johnstone.
Taylor, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “You would rather have strong relationships and to be continuous, but this season it’s been chopping and changing in terms of injuries, myself included.
“That’s been a frustration for all of us, and the manager included, but it’s one of the challenges of the season and one of the challenges of being a footballer.
“So you’ve just got to form the new partnerships quickly and gel, and look at each game as it comes.”
Centre-back Maik Nawrocki, who cost £4.3million from Legia Warsaw in the summer, is still out through injury while wingers Yang Hyun-jun and Luis Palma will also be spectators at Parkhead tomorrow.
The South Korean is serving the second of his two-game ban after his controversial red card against Hearts at Tynecastle while the Honduran still has a muscular problem.
