The Celtic defender was rusty against Rangers and would benefit from a short spell out of the side.
Kieran Tierney is undoubtedly an extremely talented player, and there is little doubt that the Celtic defender will continue to improve as he gains more experience.
However, the Scotland international has perhaps been overused this season, having amassed 36 club appearances already, and there is a serious risk that he could suffer burnout if he isn’t rested in the near future.
Tierney was rather rusty in the goalless draw with Rangers recently and it seems clear that manager Brendan Rodgers needs to afford the left-back a brief period out of the side so that he can prepare himself for the challenges that lie ahead in the second half of the season.
Celtic aren’t in action again until January 20th, when they host Brechin in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, so Tierney will be able to rest anyway, but it would surely also be beneficial to leave him out of the team for the Brechin game, perhaps by switching to a back three and deploying Callum McGregor as a left wing-back.
Although it seems rather likely that they will win the Scottish Premiership in any case, Celtic will want to ensure that they last the distance, and having Tierney fully fit will be a major boost, while they will also want to win the Scottish Cup and go as far as possible in the Europa League.
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