Celtic injuries 'biggest frustration' for manager Brendan Rodgers
- Published
Winger Luis Palma will be among Celtic's absentees against St Johnstone
Manager Brendan Rodgers says injuries have "been the biggest frustration" for Celtic this season.
Reo Hatate - out since January - Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma, Liam Scales and captain Callum McGregor will all miss Saturday's game against St Johnstone but Cameron Carter-Vickers returns.
Rodgers is hopeful captain McGregor could be back playing this month.
Defender Scales is the latest casualty and Rodgers said: "It's such a shame, he's had a great run.
"That's been biggest frustration over the course of the season, having not been able to put out our strongest XI.
"We can still finish off the season in a really high moment."
Midfielder McGregor was omitted from the Scotland squad this week having missed Celtic's last two games with an Achilles problem.
However, Rodgers is hopeful the 30-year-old could be available to face Livingston after the international break, with Celtic heading to Ibrox for the Old Firm derby the following weekend.
"He is feeling good but he needs to get some clearance work in over the next week to 10 days and we will assess it for the Livingston game when we get back," the Celtic boss added.
Eighteen-year-old midfielder Daniel Kelly is among those who have found themselves in the first team amid Celtic's injury issues, scoring on his debut in the 7-1 win Dundee and also featuring in the loss to Hearts and Scottish Cup victory over Livingston.
"I read somewhere the other week I was actually being criticised for brining a young player into the team, which I found incredible," Rodgers said.
"I put Daniel on against Hearts and it was supposedly not what I should've done.
"But thankfully I look after the short and the longer term of the club and that's brining young players in to develop, to improve, to give them that experience and hopefully to become better players."
Currently two points adrift with nine games remaining, Celtic will return to the top of the Scottish Premiership if they beat St Johnstone in Glasgow, with leaders Rangers away to Dundee on Sunday.
"There's is really just a focus on the game itself to perform and perform well," added Rodgers.
"Whatever the result of that is, we'll finish where we are for the international break from Sunday. There's no other focus other than that."
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