The 20-year-old Celtic academy graduate have been lurking in the wings since returning to fitness, and deserves a chance following Lustig’s poor run of form.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers must surely be considering Anthony Ralston as an option for the starting right-back position following yet another sub-par display from Mikael Lustig.
Lustig, 31, was at fault for the Zenit St Petersburg’s third goal last night, after a lapse in concentration saw him shaken off by Russian striker Aleksandr Kokorin, paving the way for a free shot past Dorus De Vries.
On top of this, the right-back also offered very little at the other end of the pitch, unable to cause any harm to Domenico Criscito, whilst putting in a number of poor crosses.
In fairness to Lustig, the entire Celtic XI let their manager and fans down, however, as the vice-captain of the team and one of the club’s longest serving senior players, much more was expected from the Swede.
This is not the only poor performance from Lustig this season either. There have been plenty of occasions when similar lapses in concentration have left his side in tricky situations. Should this continue, the trust of his teammates will only diminish further, which is severely detrimental to any defence.
With Ralston, 20, having proved his worth in the earlier stages of the season and having returned to fitness, the youngster surely deserves a chance.
Celtic now only have the domestic scene to focus on and it is imperative that they finish the season strongly, to salvage what has been a fairly disappointing season all round, not least in Europe.
The highlight so far has to be the League Cup title, Brendan Rodgers’ 4th domestic trophy from four so far, but recent league performances have seen Rangers and Aberdeen reduce the deficit to nine points in recent weeks.
Compared to the massive gap the Hoops managed to establish last season, their dominance has definitely diminished somewhat.
That being said, they are still well on course to secure a second domestic treble in a row, which would be an unbelievable achievement from Rodgers and his side.
A new lease of life through the inclusion of youngsters such as Ralston may be exactly what the team needs, and there is no doubt the young right-back is itching to remind the rest of the nation exactly why he warranted the new contract that he was rewarded with in December 2017.
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