CARL Starfelt has been at the centre of attention this week, but as he prepares for the match against Hearts, he’s tunnel-visioned.
Celtic could wrap up the league if they leave the capital with three points, with thousands of fans set to greet them when they arrive back at Parkhead.
However, Celtic will have to do this without Carter-Vickers, after the Celtic boss confirmed that the American defender’s season was over, and that he’d undergone surgery at the beginning of the week.
As much of a miss that CCV will be, Carl Starfelt is looking forward to playing alongside Yuki Kobayashi, who he describes as an “exciting prospect”.
The Swedish internationalist said: [Daily Record]
“Yeah, it’s a loss. Cameron is a great player and we’ve formed a strong defensive partnership with over the last two years.
“I enjoy being alongside him on the pitch and I’d say we have a good understanding of how the other plays the game. We are close off the pitch too. We are good friends, which is nice, and we are both pretty laid back.
“It was brave of him to play last week. When you are in pain it’s never easy. He has put the team first for a while now, which is him. He is a very good guy and someone who does not only think about himself.
“Cameron puts the needs of Celtic and of his fellow players very high up in terms of his priorities. It was important for the team to get him to play and credit to him for doing that.
“But Yuki looks like an exciting prospect. He has done really well in the games he has played for us. He is tidy on the ball and a good defender as well. It will be good for him to get more game time and I hope that he and I can build a good relationship on the pitch.
“If I can help him with something then I’ll do it. He is a very competent player, though, so I am sure he can do the same for me. It will be more about creating a good relationship between us rather than who does what.
“He looks like one the fans might enjoy watching because of the way he plays. But the most important thing is that he helps the team.”
The pair will likely have six games together, including the Scottish Cup final. It’ll also give Starfelt the chance to play on his more natural side of the defensive pairing, with the Japanese player slotting in on the left side.
