Celtic could now be set to lose a first-team member in January as Brendan Rodgers looks to ensure his side keep on track in their hunt for the Scottish Premiership title.
Celtic look to bounce back from Kilmarnock defeat…
Last weekend, Celtic endured a frustrating afternoon in Ayrshire against Kilmarnock as Matt O’Riley’s first-half opener was cancelled out by an own goal from Nat Phillips followed up by a winner from Matty Kennedy, giving the hosts a deserved 2-1 victory at Rugby Park.
Moving back to the drawing board, the Hoops still sit five points ahead of rivals Rangers in the hunt to retain the Scottish top-flight title; nevertheless, Phillipe Clement’s side could close the margin to two points if they win their game in hand.
Looking ahead, Celtic face Feyenoord at Parkhead on Wednesday in their last match of the Champions League group stage having already been eliminated from the competition. From their opening five matches, the Bhoys have accumulated just one point, though they could end a run of over a decade without a victory on home soil in the tournament by defeating Arne Slot’s men in Glasgow.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Rodgers shared his belief that he can take his side to the next level in continental football, stating via BBC Sport: “We will make that break through (in Europe) at some stage in the near future, tomorrow would be a great start. It’s the very reason I came back here. I came back to lead the club domestically to hopefully continued success and also in to Europe, where we want to break this barrier and bridge this gap, which is a really tough challenge.”
Nevertheless, movement in and out the door in the transfer window will be crucial to achieving these aims over the long term. Tapping into the immediate future, one man could now be set to exit Parkhead in January, according to a report.
Celtic could lose Nat Phillips in January
As per The Mirror, Celtic could lose on-loan defender Phillips in January as his parent club, Liverpool, weigh up potential replacement options to deputise for Joel Matip in light of the Cameroon international’s season-ending injury.
Nat Phillips key statistics at Celtic – Scottish Premiership (via SofaScore) | |
Balls recovered per game | 4.2 |
Clearances per game | 2.3 |
Touches per game | 72 |
Accurate passes per game | 55.2 (85%) |
Average match rating | 6.82 |
Phillips, who was valued at £10 million in the summer by the Reds with Leeds United previously keen on a permanent deal, has come in for criticism at Parkhead over the last week or so before putting through his own net against Kilmarnock. Initially joining on a six-month loan, the Bolton-born man arrived with a view to potentially staying on for longer at the Scottish champions upon further assessment from both parties.
Brought in as cover due to an injury crisis in central defence at the Hoops earlier this campaign, the former Stuttgart man has gone on to play eight times in green and white across all competitions (Phillips statistics – Transfermarkt).
Although losing the services of a senior squad member in the middle of the campaign will come as a blow to Rodgers, given his vocal dissatisfaction with some of his defensive options, it would make sense for the Irishman to let Phillips go and bring someone in who is more comfortable operating in his possession-based style moving forward.
