Opinion: £5.85m-rated star has played himself into Celtic starting line-up
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou will have a good idea about the team that he is going to select for the Hoops’ first Premiership game of the season against Aberdeen on the 31st of July.
The Hoops have two more pre-season games left to play, against Legia Warsaw and Norwich City, before the Bhoys get ready to start their league campaign.
There are still some slots up for grabs in the Celtic starting line-up, for example, who will be the Hoops’ main striker, either Kyogo or Giorgios Giakoumakis.
However, there is one player that should be starting for the Hoops in the middle of the park without a doubt, and this is midfielder David Turnbull.
Turnbull has played very well for the Hoops in the four pre-season games the side has played so far, scoring twice for Celtic, most recently in the match against Blackburn.
There is no guarantee that he will start the two remaining pre-season games, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, as he could be rested by the Celtic boss before the game against Aberdeen.
The 23-year-old, who is rated at being worth £5.85m by Transfermarkt, had a season of two halves for the Hoops in 2021/22, as a hamstring issue kept him out of action for almost four months after he had started every game for the Bhoys up until he suffered the injury.
Now he is fully fit, and Turnbull looks as if he has the edge over Reo Hatate when it comes to a place in the Celtic starting line-up at the beginning of the season.
With Celtic having so many midfielders in the squad, Turnbull will have to play well to keep his place in the Hoops side, and he will be well-aware of that, which could encourage the midfielder to perhaps find the back of the net more often.
Turnbull scored 10 goals last season, and he might well have scored plenty more goals had he not been out of action for around four months, and that is what Ange Postecoglou will be hoping what happens with Turnbull in season 2022/23.
Celtic look to have a settled side for the most part going into season 2022/23, but there will still be battles for certain positions in the starting line-up, and one of those positions is in the middle of the park. As it stands though, as long as he stays fit Turnbull deserves to get the nod to start for the Hoops in the first league game of the season.
Can’t believe that Turnbull should start ahead of Hetate
There is no comparison for me Hate wins hands down can tackle,defends,links up with forwards goes past forwards ,can pass and scores goals not that Turnbull is a bad player just in my mind Hate is first choice
agree with charlie completely…HH.
Turnbull every time.
Y not both turnbull and hatate in the starting 11
With so many games to be played I think if both are fit rotation is the key last season we could not do that which caught up with us with long term injuries ang has more options now to keep all sharp and fit with no burn outs or fatigue j