Callum McGregor expects to make way for Celtic captain Scott Brown.
Callum McGregor has joked to The Scottish Sun that Celtic team-mate Scott Brown would ‘smash’ him in training if he joked about taking the captain’s place.
Brown is fit again after missing over a month of action through Celtic.
All eyes will be on Brendan Rodgers tonight to see if the Hoops manager starts his no-nonsense skipper or keeps him on the bench for the Europa League clash away to Rosenborg.
It’s a genuine dilemma for Rodgers, because McGregor has won plenty of praise for the way in which he has adapted to playing in Brown’s position over the past five weeks.
Potentially keeping Brown out of the first XI from here on in could be a source of much banter within the Celtic squad, but the 25-year-old star says that he would never even joke about such a topic with the man himself.
McGregor told The Scottish Sun: “I think he’d just smash me in training if I said that. That would be me finished. Of course I expect Broony to come back in. He’s been a massive player for us and he has been for a number of years for Celtic.
“You can see how important he has been since the gaffer came in. He seems to be that real base for the team to allow us to go and play. When he comes back you fully expect him to go back in and have the same impact he’s had for eight or nine years.
“For people to even mention I might stay there after five or six games, you’ve got to take that as a compliment.”
Having missed so much football lately, the Northern Irish manager will probably bench his club captain, but the Bhoys have a huge Scottish League Cup final with Aberdeen at Hampden Park on Sunday.
It’s a good headache for Rodgers to have, but a headache nonetheless and it is rather fascinating to see what he does.
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