Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped some early team news ahead of the Bhoys’ upcoming Europa Conference League fixture.
What’s the latest?
In recent comments cited by the Glasgow Evening Times, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss confirmed that, after missing the Hoops’ last two fixtures due to illness, Josip Juranovic will once again be available for selection for the visit of Bodo/Glimt on Thursday evening.
Speaking about the current state of his Celtic squad, the Greek-Australian coach said: “Josip Juranovic is available.”
Fans will be buzzing
Having joined Celtic in a £2.5m deal last summer, Juranovic has wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the most important players in Postecoglou’s first-team setup at Parkhead.
Indeed, over his 20 Premiership outings this term, the £16k-per-week defender has been in quite astonishing form for the Hoops, having already scored two goals and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.4 key passes and taking 1.4 shots per game.
The £3.6m-rated Croatia international has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping the Bhoys keep eight clean sheets, in addition to making an average of one interception, 1.6 tackles, 1.5 clearances, 50.6 passes and winning 3.1 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per fixture.
These returns have seen the 26-year-old, who Scottish legend Ally McCoist dubbed an “outstanding” talent, average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.25, ranking him as the joint 10th-best player in the Scottish top flight so far this season.
As such, while Anthony Ralston is far from a terrible backup option for Postecoglou, the availability of Juranovic will undoubtedly provide Celtic’s chances of sealing a first-leg victory against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday with a substantial boost – something that will certainly leave the Parkhead faithful buzzing.
In other news: Forget Forrest: Ange must axe Celtic star who “could play in a tuxedo” vs Bodo/Glimt