One of the most notable pieces of news in the lead-up to Celtic’s Scottish Cup quarter-final tie on Sunday was that Cameron Carter-Vickers wasn’t in the squad for the game.
Manager Brendan Rodgers later admitted that the decision to leave out the American centre-half was precautionary. Stephen Welsh came into the team in his absence, partnering Liam Scales at the heart of the defence.
In the game, the duo weren’t entirely convincing. There were wide, noticeable gaps in the backline when Dan Mackay equalised for Livi while striker Tete Yengi ran both Welsh and Scales ragged throughout the 90.
Some of the pair’s passing and build-up play wasn’t entirely convincing, either.
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard after the game, pundit Hugh Keevins admitted his concerns about Welsh and Scales playing together, while also stating how much the Hoops miss Carter-Vickers: “There are so many things that are important going forward here”, he said.
“When Carter-Vickers is not there, Scales and Welsh are not a central defensive partnership you can build the remainder of the season on – it’s just the way it is. The injury report will be very, very interesting.”
What the 26-year-old brings to the team is widely noticeable when he isn’t there, with Keevins serving to back up a stance the majority of the Celtic fans have taken.
It is hard to disagree with his point, and the sooner the treble-winner is back fit, the better.
