Martin O'Neill will have an interesting decision to make at the back after this international break. Celtic went into the break with back-to-back wins, and things felt very different from the last international break, when they suffered three straight defeats going into that window.
The Hoops have revived their Europa League hopes and still sit top of the Premiership table, and while there are major questions over playing style and squad depth, the improvement in results has offered some relief from intense criticism.
In their final game before the break, Celtic narrowly defeated Kilmarnock in the league, with Liam Scales scoring the all-important winner. Scales is a real threat from set-pieces, but credit to him, he also put on a very strong defensive performance.
There have been times when Scales is clumsy with the ball at his feet in frantic scenarios, but defensively, he has been in good form since the last break.
Over recent weeks, there has been no big decision to make for O'Neill, who played Scales and Dane Murray when they were the only centre-backs available to him, and when Cameron Carter-Vickers returned, out dropped Murray.
But after the break, Auston Trusty will return to availability following the death of his father. When fit, Carter-Vickers and Trusty have often been the go-to combination, but it will be interesting to see if Trusty has to earn his spot back from Scales.
Carter-Vickers has been Celtic's most consistent centre-back so far this season, so there should be no real debate over his position, barring a downturn in performances, but as things stand, it's likely to be between Scales and Trusty, and O'Neill is going to have to make a big decision on that front.
Scales in action for Ireland during the break, while Trusty will return from personal leave to represent USMNT in Mauricio Pochettino's final window as manager following his agreement to take the Manchester United job.
As things stand, one would imagine Scales has the edge, given he has gone into the break on form for the Bhoys, but it's going to be an interesting battle over the coming weeks, and don't rule out Murray, who has impressed in a few games and will want to compete for one of those spots.
It's a good problem for O'Neill to have, and paired with the winger position, it is one of the few positions that has genuine competition in this Celtic squad.
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