Alex Valle should be in the conversation to start for Celtic at Ibrox after his performance against St Johnstone on Sunday.
The left-back came into the lineup for the Hoops for the first time since the beginning of the month away at Pittodrie, when he was hooked at halftime.
Valle had been limited to substitute appearances since then until yesterday, when he got the nod.
Although he was up against bottom-of-the-table cannon fodder, the 20-year-old impressed with his performance. He was a constant attacking threat, making continual overlapping runs and creating the most chances in the match, per FotMob. The Spaniard read the game well, too.
We all know what happened with Greg Taylor in the last Glasgow derby. Despite scoring, the 27-year-old gifted Rangers an opener, and if not for some heroic four-on-one Cameron Carter-Vickers defending, he would have been at fault for another.
Now, I’m not one to constantly scapegoat Taylor, and I understand how pivotal he can be for Celtic at times in that inverted role, but Valle offers something different and more exciting.
He’s a contrasting full-back to Taylor in terms of style and is all action. Other than a wind-interfered poor 45 minutes at Aberdeen, the Barcelona loanee is yet to put a foot wrong in green and white.
If I were a betting man, however, I’d be content to put money on Taylor getting the nod on Thursday. From the outside looking in, it appeared he was being rested yesterday, having sat out the entirety of Celtic’s 4-0 win over the Perth Saintees.
Brendan Rodgers is prone to a curveball or two, yet I simply can’t see as rogue a decision as Valle starting at Ibrox, as much as I’d like him to.
