Pat Bonner says Brendan Rodgers now knows he can count on Viljami Sinisalo after the young goalkeeper’s recent run in the team. Sinisalo started six games in a row while Kasper Schmeichel was out with an injury. The Finnish keeper did well during that spell and helped Celtic keep up their strong league and cup form.
Before Schmeichel’s injury, Sinisalo hadn’t played much and fans didn’t know what to expect from him. But he looked calm and confident in goals, handling pressure well and making key saves when needed. Bonner, a former Celtic keeper himself, said this was a big positive for Brendan Rodgers.
Arguably, Sinisalo was unfairly dropped against Hibernian on Saturday. However, it shows the level of competition between Schmeichel and Sinisalo that, despite his recent performances, he was dropped for the Danish number one.
He said: (BBC Radio Scotland), “Just on that goalkeeping situation. At least we now know that Sinisalo can actually do the job when he comes into the team.
“That injury to Schmeichel allowed that to happen. Before that, we didn’t see him really, and we didn’t know how he was going to do. That’s a bonus from a negative.
“He is only a kid from a goalkeeping perspective, but he looks the part and we see what happens next year.”
Rodgers confirmed after the Hibs game that Sinisalo will start again against Aberdeen on Wednesday, while Schmeichel will return for Saturday’s match against Hearts. However, the Irishman did not say who would play in the Scottish Cup final.
That means the number one spot could still be up for grabs. Sinisalo has done his job well so far, and Rodgers now knows he has another good option if needed. Whether he gets the nod for the final remains to be seen, but the young keeper has certainly made his mark.
