Perhaps it speaks more about the other moves made, but in many ways, Nat Phillips was Celtic’s marquee signing of the summer. The Liverpool centre-back has been brought in on a season-long loan amidst the long list of injury problems that Brendan Rodgers’ team are facing at this point in time.
That did not stop them from defeating the Rangers away at Ibrox in the first Glasgow Derby of the season. It is a massive result for Rodgers’ side when you consider the fitness issues they have been facing as well as their results coming into the game.
Interestingly, one man who was not part of the matchday squad is Nat Phillips. There were rumours of the Liverpool centre-back carrying a fitness issue when the signing was made and it looks like they might indeed be accurate.
As reported by The National, Rodgers told Sky Sports about the situation of Phillips:
"“It was always the plan. Coming in this was the game that he wasn’t going to be able to make.“We’ve spoken with the Liverpool medical team, so we have to look after him.“But he will be able for after the international break, hopefully.”"
Celtic boss explains why Phillips dropped vs Rangers
Thus, it looks like Phillips is not fit to feature at the moment but will hopefully be back in action after the international break. Let’s see how things play out.
Another centre-back with fitness issues is not good news for Celtic. And they cannot afford to take any risks with Phillips. He should only be brought into the fold when he is fully fit.
Against the Rangers, they did manage to keep a clean sheet, something that not many fans were expecting. The defenders definitely deserve a lot of credit for their performance on the day.
This is a result that Celtic need to build on from here. This team was in clear need of a confidence booster and hopefully, they have got one at Ibrox. On the other hand, the Rangers already find themselves in a lot of trouble, with many of their fans wanting Michael Beale’s exit just a few games into the new season.