What to expect from returning central defenders

During the second half of last season, right back Alistair Johnston eclipsed the form of left back Greg Taylor.  That scenario has flipped so far this season, in part due to Greg’s resurgence, but it is fair to say Alistair has yet to hit top form.

Livingston on Saturday was only Alistair’s third full 90 minutes this season, coming days after a full game in Rotterdam.  By any measure, his fitness is still at a preseason level.  We have three games before the next international break, which should be enough to see the player back to his best.

Witnessing such an outstanding athlete parachuting into a fully fit team while he is still working to get there, should be informative for what we can expect when our injured central defenders return to the fold.

Nat Phillips, who has played 45 minutes football this season, will be first.  He will be miles short of pace but with the Champions League suspension of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Nat will face Lazio, fit enough or not.

By the end of the international break, Cameron Carter-Vickers will hopefully be available for selection, over two months since his last outing, which was only his second game of the season.  He will need at least a month before we can look for anything like his best.