Celtic ‘should elaborate’ further on the injury to defender Greg Taylor, according to Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

The Lowdown: International omission

The Hoops left-back was noticeably missing from the matchday squad for the 3-1 Scottish Premiership victory over Hearts last week, causing initial concern among supporters.

Ange Postecoglou later put minds at ease during his post-match interview by revealing that the 25-year-old simply wasn’t risked due to feeling soreness in training:

“Greg should be fine. No problem, he probably could’ve played tonight at a stretch but we just thought we’d be a bit cautious there.”

However, it would appear that he’s still not over his problem…

The Hampden Park international boss has omitted the star from his Scotland squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain later this month.

The Latest: Clarke’s comments

Speaking after the squad announcement, Clarke confirmed that he’d spoken to Taylor about his decision and urged Celtic to lift the lid on exactly what his situation is. He said:

“I have had a chat with Greg. It is really a Celtic issue, more than for me to comment on. He is carrying a little injury.

“He will probably benefit from a rest rather than coming away with the national team. Celtic should elaborate on that a little bit.”

The Verdict: Fast recovery needed

Taylor has become a regular feature under Postecoglou and the Celtic boss will be hoping that he overcomes his injury as soon as possible to continue helping the team.

The Bhoys defender has posted 18 assists and five goals in 117 appearances since joining, and it’s fair to say he’s enjoying a mightily impressive season.

The Greenock-born talent currently ranks in the 97th percentile for most progressive passes and is averaging 1.3 key passes per league game, which has seen him bag four man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

The left-footed ace also offers versatility with his ability to operate in five different positions, including higher up in the midfield and on the opposite flank, making him a useful option for the manager to have at his disposal.

The Australian previously publicly praised Taylor for his individual contribution to the side and has backed him to carry on performing at a high level:

“I can’t talk about before I got here, but since I’ve been here, he’s really embraced the challenge of being a key part of this team.

“Obviously, the way we play is a little bit different, I think he’s embraced that, and he’s continuing to improve.”