Why James McCarthy staying fit will be important for Celtic’s title hopes

Celtic had been linked with a move for James McCarthy for years before a move finally materialised this summer. The club signed the midfielder on a free transfer.

McCarthy enjoyed a great career in English football having represented the likes of Everton, Crystal Palace and Wigan Athletic over the years. But his recent injury worries have meant that he has not played a lot of football over the past few seasons.

Since his arrival at Parkhead this summer, he has not featured a lot either. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has made just two appearances and played 30 minutes of football for the club till now.

But considering how things have turned out for the club over the course of the summer transfer window, him staying fit will be very vital to Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title hopes for the season.

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McCarthy staying fit will be vital to Celtic’s Premiership hopes

The biggest reason why the Hoops will need to rely upon McCarthy over the course of the season is their thin midfield depth at this point of time.

Firstly, Ismaila Soro appears to be the only other player at the club right now capable of playing in a defensive midfield role. Secondly, Ryan Christie departed the club on transfer deadline day but a midfielder was not brought in as a replacement. Thus, options were reduced in the middle of the park as well.

In recent weeks, we have seen Ange Postecoglou go with a trio of midfielders with flexible roles. And while the combination of David Turnbull, Tom Rogic and Callum McGregor might work against most teams, it could be a worry for the Hoops in the big games.

Neither Turnbull nor Rogic are known for the defensive side of their games while McGregor is not a defensive midfielder either and is at his best when he is tasked with keeping things ticking in the middle of the park. This could leave the Hoops open in the middle of the park.

Thus, someone like McCarthy could prove to be vital in the big games. On top form, there is no doubt that he is a brilliant player and hopefully we will be able to see him perform at that level during his time at Parkhead.