Scottish champions Celtic tackle St Mirren this afternoon, with the Parkhead outfit trying to preserve their imperious home kind which has seen them take maximum points from their opening six league video games up to now.
Ange Postecoglou’s facet already look nicely positioned to clinch a second successive league title, with their most up-to-date Scottish Premiership encounter having seen them thrash Old Firm foes Rangers in what was a brutal show on house soil.
The Glasgow outfit additionally secured the first point of their Champions League marketing campaign away towards Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, having beforehand produced an encouraging show regardless of defeat to holders Real Madrid per week earlier.
One man who has been a bystander to proceedings in latest months, nonetheless, is defender Anthony Ralston, with the academy graduate having made only a solitary top-flight look off the bench to this point, totalling solely eight minutes.
The 23-year-old’s only other appearance got here within the League Cup conquer Ross County final month, albeit with the Scotland worldwide having showcased his probably wasted expertise in that 4-1 win as he laid on two assists.
That impactful show ensures that the four-cap gem has the identical variety of aim involvements as teammate and fellow right-back Josip Juranovic, regardless of the Croatian gem having been the first-choice decide within the present marketing campaign up to now, with the 27-year-old registering simply one aim and one help from his eight appearances.
The Zagreb-born star has been in “outstanding” kind since his £2.5m arrival final summer time – within the phrases of ex-Hoops striker John Hartson – though his attacking output has maybe been considerably restricted, whereas he additionally endured a troublesome night in Warsaw on Wednesday night time.
That conflict towards the Ukrainian outfit noticed Juranovic wrestle to deal with the full of life Mykhaylo Mudryk, with the fleet-footed winger notably surging away from the previous Legia Warsaw man to lash house an equaliser on the break.
After what was a gruelling outing, it might nicely be an opportunity handy younger Ralston a primary begin of the season within the upcoming conflict with the Buddies, with the much-improved asset having maybe been deserving of a extra distinguished position following his kind final time period.
The £1.8m-rated man loved a outstanding transition from outcast to cult hero following Postecoglou’s appointment, notably netting five objectives and laying on 9 assists in all competitions final time period – with Juranovic offering solely five objectives and two assists final time period for the Scottish giants.
Ralston additionally created 13 large probabilities in his 28 league outings in that triumphant marketing campaign, whereas his extra senior teammate – who additionally featured at left-back – created simply four large probabilities from his 26 top-flight appearances.
Lauded as a “warrior” by his supervisor final season, the £10.5k-per-week Scotsman actually sparkled after being handed a daily run within the facet in the course of the 2021/22 marketing campaign, with today’s sport probably offering the prospect for a well-earned recall to the beginning XI.