There was a bit of a shocker when the line ups came out for the game between Celtic and Ross County. Stephen Welsh was not in the starting XI or on the bench on the day. That was a surprise to say the least. The youngster had enjoyed a brilliant opening game of the season against Aberdeen, when he had not only kept a clean sheet but also scored the opener as well.
Welsh had been the starting centre-back for Celtic in recent times as a result of Carl Starfelt being out injured and missing the entire pre-season.
Thus, Welsh being out was a worry for Celtic to say the least and Moritz Jenz, who is on loan from Ligue 1 side Lorient, started the game instead. On the other hand, Starfelt did find himself on the bench.
While speaking to BBC Radio Scotland and as reported by 67 Hail Hail, Ange Postecoglou revealed that Welsh had “pulled up a bit ill” after yesterday’s training session at Lennoxtown.
Postecoglou explains why Celtic star was left out of squad vs Ross County
Ultimately, it worked out quite well for Celtic to say the least. It had looked like they were in danger of dropping points, with the score tied at 1-1 till the 84th minute, before Jenz cropped up with his first goal for the club in his very first start.
Liel Abada would score one in added time as well, to make it 3-1, to put the game beyond any doubt and seal all three points for Celtic. Jota’s performance on the day deserves mention as well, as he assisted all three of the Hoops’ goals.
This does make things very interesting as it looks like Celtic now have Welsh and Jenz competing with Starfelt for the starting spot in the heart of defence alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.