Vasilis Barkas has ‘very good chance’ of regaining his place under John Kennedy

Celtic could be set for a goalkeeping shake-up ahead of the clash with Aberdeen tomorrow.

The Athletic‘s Kieran Devlin has dropped a significant indication that summer signing Vasilis Barkas could be reintegrated to the Hoops’ starting XI, citing the faith placed in him in his transfer fee and a need to rediscover form.

The Greek goalkeeper cost Celtic £4.5m from AEK Athens in a bid to see Celtic secure a historic 10th consecutive league title. However, things soon turned sour as who quickly found himself out of the team, with Scott Bain and youngster Conor Hazard establishing themselves as recently-departed manager Neil Lennon’s entrusted stalwarts between the posts.

Conversely, Devlin believes the void left by Lennon’s midweek exit could open a pathway of redemption to Barkas. Speaking in a Q&A with subscribers of The Athletic, the journalist was quizzed by a Celtic fan on where the short-term future lies for the 26-year-old.

Devlin duly talked up the chances of Barkas returning to the team, saying: “I think there’s a very good chance of it, given the level of investment in him and the need for him to prove himself before the start of next season.”

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Given the significant investment – and, by extension, faith – placed in Barkas, Celtic simply cannot afford to let a major asset on a long-term deal waste away on the bench.

With selling the player (almost certainly at a loss given his lack of minutes) appearing to be an unviable option in the short-term, putting him back into the first team fold could be one of the first decisive acts by interim manager John Kennedy.