Rodgers keen to stay 'careful' with Carter-Vickers as Trusty and Scales impress

Brendan Rodgers has revealed that Cameron Carter-Vickers is closing in on a return to action with Celtic but is keen that no risks are taken with the defender.

The USA international has missed six games with a toe injury but is now back in training. Greg Taylor, who is also in contention to be part of the squad to face Motherwell on Sunday, is also back in training.

Carter-Vickers, who has had previous injury problems during his time at Celtic, has been training over the last two weeks but hasn’t featured in the matchday squads and he didn’t travel to Italy for the Champions League draw with Atalanta.

Rodgers said the club’s thinking was to allow him time for a full recovery.

“Certainly, when we were away, it was the best he’d felt,” the Celtic boss said. “So he’s obviously done some training back here.

“We’re just being careful and listening to him really to not want to force it really if it’s not right. But he looked very good earlier and he’s been that throughout this week.

“So fingers crossed he comes through OK and then he can be involved in the squad.”

In Carter-Vickers’ absence, summer signing Auston Trusty has played alongside Liam Scales in the heart of the defence and drew plenty of plaudits for his performance against attack-minded Atalanta.

“I thought he was immense in the game,” Rodgers said.

“Him and Scalesy. But Scalesy, I’ve seen now for a long time, one of his great superpowers is defending the box. When it comes in, he puts his head on it.

“For Auston, a big admiration, especially since he’s come in he’s a player that’s been playing on the wrong side virtually all his time. But he’s just got on with it and coped with it.

“But then you see one of the big reasons why we did bring him in. His ability to leap and defend in the box. He’s really powerful with his head. But also his speed, there were a couple of recovery runs in behind. He’s super quick. He got there on a couple of occasions.

“I was so, so pleased for him because sometimes you need a big performance like that at the big clubs to really show your value.”