O’Neill Explains Decision to Bench Iheanacho for St Mirren Clash
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has clarified why Kelechi Iheanacho was absent from the starting eleven for Saturday’s fixture against St Mirren. The coach pointed to the striker’s ongoing conditioning issues as the primary reason for keeping him out of the initial lineup.
The Nigerian international has endured a frustrating spell since joining the Scottish Premiership champions last September. Persistent fitness struggles have forced the forward to sit out 21 league matches so far this season.
Iheanacho recently proved his worth by coming off the bench to score a vital winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Dundee last weekend. Despite that crucial contribution, O’Neill opted to stick with Tomáš Čvančara as the starting center-forward for the game against the Saints.
Speaking to the BBC, O’Neill explained that his tactical choice was heavily based on the player’s physical readiness. The manager acknowledged the massive impact Iheanacho made as a substitute last week but feared the forward would not be able to complete a full ninety minutes if he started the match. O’Neill added that having Iheanacho among the substitutes provides Celtic with reliable, game-changing options off the bench.
The manager’s overall strategy appeared to pay off early in the game. By the thirty-minute mark, Celtic had successfully secured a 1-0 lead courtesy of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who sent a low finish straight into the far corner of the net.