It was a weekend to forget for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.
In one of the season’s shock results, Celtic suffered a surprise defeat to bottom-placed St Johnstone, putting a hold on their title celebrations.
It was another unconvincing away performance from the champions-elect, who have struggled for consistency on the road since the start of the year.
Ahead of the match, Rodgers made a notable change to his defence following their comfortable victory over Hearts—dropping Maik Nawrocki to the bench.
Auston Trusty was brought into the starting lineup, partnering Cameron Carter-Vickers in central defence.
While the defensive reshuffle wasn’t solely to blame for the dropped points, it does raise questions about the reasoning behind the change.
Why did Rodgers opt for Auston Trusty over Maik Nawrocki?
Nawrocki has looked solid whenever given a chance—most recently helping keep a clean sheet against Hearts—but opportunities have been limited.
Rodgers was seeking more balance in his backline, favouring a left-footed option to complement the setup, which led to Trusty’s inclusion after returning from injury.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Rodgers explained:
“I prefer a left-footed centre-half, so it felt natural to bring Auston [Trusty] back into the side.
“Every match is different. We played very well here earlier in the season, and we were aiming to replicate that performance with fast, dynamic football and aggressive counter-pressing.”
Trusty’s performance against St Johnstone
Trusty’s return, however, wasn’t smooth. Celtic conceded an early goal from a set piece that the defence failed to clear, with Daniels Balodis—who had already threatened moments earlier—eventually scoring.
Statistically, Trusty’s outing was rated slightly below seven by WhoScored, compared to Carter-Vickers’ 7.54, suggesting he had a less impactful display on his return to the XI.
