Yuki Kobayashi has big Celtic shoes to fill but backed to strike balancing act and put best foot forward

Yuki Kobayashi faces an immense task to hold the fort in the absence of inspirational Celtic figure Cameron Carter-Vickers.

But the Japanese kid could not have a better opportunity to put a left-foot forward and give Ange Postecoglou a potential balancing act for next term. Kobayashi looks set to fill the gaping void left by the American international in the final month of the campaign and perhaps even into the start of next term.

It’s a massive challenge for the 22-year-old and also a massive opening of a door. Carter-Vickers’ contribution over the past two seasons has been simply immense. Knowing he’s played the last part of it in knee pain just adds to the achievement. It remains a remarkable statistic that, since signing for Postecoglou, the centre-back has lost just one Scottish Premiership game over two campaigns. The fact that record reduces to zero when starting alongside partner Carl Starfelt is astounding and the Swede is an unsung part of that success.

Often unfairly criticised, Starfelt has also been outstanding and come up trumps in big games. Moritz Jenz and Stephen Welsh to the best of their ability, but it was notable that the first-pick pair didn’t start a single Champions League game together out of the six group matches due to injury.

Maybe it would have made no difference. Celtic may still have shipped plenty of goals against the game’s elite. No-one can ever say and perhaps that question will be answered next term when Postecoglou’s team go back in against the big boys of the continent.

Domestically, anyway, it says much for Starfelt that he has been able to do the job so impressively when playing on the wrong side. Naturally right footed, the Scandinavian operates on the left of the two with