Celtic Star Has Played Himself Out of the Starting XI for Rangers Clash After St Johnstone

Celtic maintained their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season on Wednesday night, but their 1-0 victory over St Johnstone also provided Martin O’Neill with some selection decisions to consider ahead of the Glasgow derby.

Mika Baur ultimately settled the contest in Perth, converting Haissem Hassan’s cut-back shortly after half-time to secure another three points for the champions.

O’Neill made several changes to his side with the meeting with Rangers approaching, giving opportunities to a number of players who have found themselves on the fringes of the first team.

The performance was far from convincing during the opening 45 minutes, with Celtic requiring an excellent close-range stop from debutant Sam Johnstone to prevent St Johnstone from taking the lead.

Baur eventually broke the deadlock seven minutes after the interval, but while several of Celtic’s summer arrivals showed encouraging signs, Sebastian Tounekti endured another frustrating outing.

However, the Tunisian was not the only player who failed to make the most of his opportunity.

Tounekti continues to struggle for Celtic

With Yang Hyun-jun unavailable because of his involvement with the Asian Games, Tounekti had a golden opportunity to strengthen his case for a starting role on the left against Rangers.

Instead, his display in Perth offered little evidence that he should be given the nod this weekend.

Tounekti was certainly willing to take responsibility and repeatedly attempted to influence the contest, but his decision-making and final delivery once again let him down.

Chris Sutton criticised the winger during the early stages of the match, suggesting that he was being too cautious when Celtic needed greater attacking intent.

One moment in the first half summed up his current lack of confidence. Tounekti found himself in a promising position but chose to look for a pass rather than test the goalkeeper himself.

His numbers also underline his struggles.

The 24-year-old played 73 minutes, registered 66 touches and completed 85 per cent of his passes. However, he managed just one key pass and one shot, while losing possession 22 times.

His crossing was particularly disappointing, with only one successful delivery from 12 attempts. He completed two of his four dribbles and won just three of seven total duels.

Tounekti does possess the pace and ability to trouble defenders when he attacks them directly, but his end product remains inconsistent.

That was evident again against St Johnstone, with his inability to consistently produce the right final ball frustrating Celtic’s attacking players.

Oliver Sørensen could be the bigger selection concern

While Tounekti’s performance will attract plenty of attention, another Celtic player may have done even more damage to his chances of starting against Rangers.

Oliver Sørensen was handed an opportunity in an advanced midfield position, but the Parma loanee struggled to impose himself on the match.

It is still far too early to make a definitive judgment on the Dane, particularly given that he is adapting to a new club and a different environment.

Nevertheless, his lack of involvement in Perth was difficult to overlook.

Sørensen appeared isolated for much of his time on the pitch and struggled to provide the connection between Celtic’s midfield and attack. He was eventually replaced shortly after the hour mark.

One possible explanation is that the role simply did not suit him. He was effectively being asked to operate in the position previously occupied by Benjamin Nygren, and that may have prevented him from showing his strengths.

Even with that caveat, his influence was minimal.

Sørensen managed only 23 touches during his appearance, fewer than goalkeeper Johnstone, who had 48. That highlights just how little Celtic were able to get their new midfielder involved.

The contrast with his replacement was particularly striking.

Nygren recorded 26 touches despite playing only around 23 minutes. More importantly, the Swede produced five key passes and created two big chances during his brief appearance.

Admittedly, Nygren benefited from a more open game as St Johnstone chased an equaliser, but the difference in attacking influence was still significant.

Sørensen’s solitary key pass underlined how little he contributed creatively, while Nygren immediately provided the sort of threat Celtic had been missing.

Sørensen could make way against Rangers

O’Neill deserves credit for rotating his squad and giving players valuable minutes ahead of a crucial fixture, but Wednesday’s match may have helped clarify his thinking for the Rangers game.

Johnstone’s impressive debut could put pressure on the established goalkeeping options, although he may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Tounekti is also likely to lose his starting position despite his effort and willingness to keep attempting to make things happen.

Sørensen, meanwhile, has arguably given O’Neill the clearest reason to make a change.

There is no need to write off the midfielder after one difficult appearance, but he did little to suggest that he is ready to take on a prominent role in such an important fixture.

Nygren’s cameo, in contrast, demonstrated exactly what Celtic can gain from having a more creative presence operating in that area.

First impressions are not everything, particularly for a new signing, and Sørensen deserves the opportunity to settle into Scottish football.

But with Rangers next on the schedule, Celtic cannot afford to select players purely on potential.

Based on what happened in Perth, Sørensen may have played himself out of O’Neill’s starting XI for the weekend’s biggest game.