Celtic vice-captain Cameron Carter-Vickers has spoken about the Hoops’ recent injury crisis in defence, which has seen Maik Nawrocki step in to partner him against Rangers and Hearts.

Despite conceding three goals in his first start back, Nawrocki surprisingly didn’t harm his Celtic future. If anything, his display highlighted that while the Hoops have defensive concerns, the Polish centre-back isn’t one of them. Against Hearts, he managed to keep a clean sheet in another solid performance, with Auston Trusty returning to the bench.

With Liam Scales now in contention to play against Kilmarnock next weekend, Nawrocki may struggle to retain his place in the XI. However, as he has shown throughout his time at the club, he has rarely put a foot wrong when given opportunities. While Trusty and Scales have had their moments of brilliance, they have also shown fragility, and Carter-Vickers has yet to have a centre-back partner match his unbelievable consistency.

Discussing Nawrocki’s recent run in the team, Carter-Vickers Said: (Celtic TV), “I think he’s done well. It’s tough. I can’t think of the last time he played—I’m sure it’s probably close to a year ago.

“So, to come in and play two games back-to-back like that, it was always going to be a challenge for him physically and mentally and also just getting back into the rhythm of things.

“However, I think he’s done well.”

There are certainly areas of Nawrocki’s game where he can improve, but first and foremost, he is a solid defender. At times, he could be more adventurous with his passing choices, but that should come with confidence and experience. At 24, he is far from past his best years—if anything, the last 18 months have been a valuable learning experience.

With Celtic linked to a new centre-back in January, Nawrocki may have already answered that question. A player who once looked close to the exit door—especially after Dane Murray was favoured against Aston Villa in January—has fought back.

Whether Nawrocki fully turns his Celtic career around remains to be seen, but recent performances suggest he isn’t going down without a fight. That can only be a positive, making the Celtic defence as competitive as possible. Even though Brendan Rodgers appears to favour a left-footed centre-back alongside Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki is doing everything he can to prove he belongs.