Brendan Rodgers has explained why Callum McGregor was substituted off in Celtic's 5-2 win over St Mirren last night.
It was surprising to see the Parkhead skipper be withdrawn on 65 minutes, given he more often than not completes full 90s.
McGregor had only been subbed off three times this season prior to yesterday evening's match.
Luke McCowan came on in his place, with Arne Engels dropping into the deeper role in Celtic's midfield.
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Speaking after his side's triumph, boss Rodgers lifted the lid on his decision to bring McGregor off early: "He just felt a little bit of tiredness in his calf," he said.
"I didn't want to take any risk with him. And Luke coming in was fantastic. Arne Engels just dropped back in."
The ever-reliable McGregor has made a considerable 43 appearances for Celtic this season - he made 45 in total last campaign.
He will have his sights set on adding two more medals to his ever-growing tally before 2024/25 is out.
Indeed, his Celtic team are just three wins away from securing their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title, and remain in the hunt for another domestic clean sweep.
Next up, they face Hibernian in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup as they look to progress to Hampden and take a significant step towards a treble.
