Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has explained why Marcelo Saracchi started ahead of Kieran Tierney on Sunday against Kilmarnock.
The Uruguayan left-back came in for his maiden start in green and white and very much impressed, setting up Daizen Maeda for the opener with a fine cross.
Speaking to Celtic TV pre-match, boss Rodgers explained his decision to bench Tierney and start Saracchi: "Kieran, not quite ready," he said. "He has been out from the international break, and he has only trained the last couple of days, so not quite ready.
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"But that’s why we bring in Marcelo. He can come in, and he is an experienced player."
After the game, which Celtic won 2-1 thanks to a late Kelechi Iheanacho penalty, Rodgers sang the praises of Saracchi.
He said: "I liked him. He's a player of experience. He can do that role coming in on the inside. He hasn't played for a little while, so the plan was to give him an hour, and he did that very well.
"Just again, getting used to the adaptation to the system, he's coming from maybe fractionally slower play. So for us we want to get the ball more progressive and get it forward quicker.
"In the second half he's up there and it's a brilliant cross from that half space, because we talk about that against back fives when you're switching it and you're working the ball.
"Making those crosses, it's difficult for the other team to defend, and he made a great ball, and then that allows Kieran Tierney to come in and play the last 30 minutes or so."
