VILJAMI SINISALO, CELTIC'S NEXT DERBY HERO? FINN SET FOR IBROX AS KASPER SCHMEICHEL TIMELINE CONFIRMED
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
Kasper Schmeichel should, it appears, be ready to play again in 5 or 6 weeks.
That’s according to an interview Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers gave to Celtic TV last night.
This is of course, great news, but it also means we'll have to do without our number 1 for a while longer.
Getting back to full fitness is one thing, but being match ready is another. There is no guarantee Schmeichel will achieve full sharpness before the next Glasgow Derby
My big takeaway from this: Viljami Sinisalo will probably be in goal for Celtic the next time we visit Rangers.
League Debut Showed Viljami Sinisalo is Good Enough for Celtic
As a goalkeeper, it’s easy to show what you can do in training, the difficult part comes when you’re called in to the starting line-up.
Recent history at Celtic has shown that while some keepers like Fraser Forster thrive under the pressure of playing for Celtic, for others like Vasilas Barkas, it can derail an entire career.
For sure, Sinisalo will face a far sterner test at Ibrox than he did against Hearts last weekend.
However, the young Finn showed enough, in my opinion, to suggest he has what it takes. Not just in ability, but perhaps more importantly, in mental fortitude.
In particular, I noted a crucial point blank save he made last weekend while the game was still finely poised at 0-0 and Hearts were on the ascendancy.
It was also refreshing to see a goalkeeper so young, and playing only his second competitive game for Celtic cut such a commanding presence.
His distribution was solid, he remained cool under pressure and he was extremely vocal in keeping the defenders ahead of him on task.
It seems quite clear to me that 9 months of training alongside Kasper Schmeichel has rubbed off on Sinisalo in the most positive of ways.
Ultimately though, Kasper Schmeichel is our number one goalkeeper, and that will remain the case for at least one more year.
With the nonsense floating around in the Scottish press this week, broaching the hopeful notion on their part that Schmeichel may retire, it was good to see Brendan Rodgers come straight out and shut it all down.
Kasper Schmeichel will continue to make a huge contribution to Celtic’s ongoing success. Don’t be surprised if this time next year he decides he fancies carrying on even longer.
However, when the time does eventually come for the big man to hang up his gloves for good, I have every confidence that Viljami Sinisalo will take his place as Celtic’s number one.
I also believe he will go on to have every bit as successful a career as his predecessor.
