Neil Lennon has suggested to the Daily Record that Marian Shved was omitted from Celtic’s squad due to tactical reasons.
The 22-year-old, who joined the Bhoys during the January transfer window, scored a brilliant goal on his debut against Nomme Kalju in midweek.
It was expected that he will retain his place in Lennon’s side on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership season.
He wasn’t a part of the 18-man Celtic squad that won 7-0 against St Johnstone on Saturday that left many fans puzzled.
However, the Bhoys boss has insisted that Shved will be a part of the squad for the trip to face CFR Cluj in the Champions League qualifier on Wednesday night.
Lennon said: “I hope Shved will be back on Wednesday but I can only pick 18 players.
“With Jozo and Jullien out today, I needed to bolster the bench with defenders just in case and that proved right with the injury to Elhamed.
“But Marian should be back in the squad. He’s only played 25 minutes in the last few weeks and I’ve got good depth there.”
It’s a long season, and Shved will get his chances to impress his manager.
Celtic have depth and quality in the attacking midfield region and it was never going to be easy for the Ukrainian winger to cement his place straightaway.
There will be squad rotation this season especially with Celtic focussing on European games as well.
Shved is expected to be a part of the side in Celtic’s next game, and it will represent another big opportunity for him to make a solid impact.
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