NEIL LENNON has revealed that he could shake up Celtic’s defensive line at Motherwell – with Kristoffer Ajer likely to return from injury.
The Hoops have struggled defensively in recent weeks with just one clean sheet recorded in their last six games.
But with Norwegian Ajer expected to play a part at Fir Park, Lennon is hopeful that his return will have a positive effect on his team as a whole.
He explained: “Thursday was too soon for him but he is back in contention. We are not keeping as many clean sheets as I would like.
“Defensively we have to do better at set-plays and generally be better as a unit. We were a little bit individualistic on Thursday and we didn’t stay connected and that was half the problem.
“We showed a bit of character to get it back to 2-1, I thought we were looking good and then we conceded a really poor third goal. There is a lot of work still to be done with the team in terms of where we want to get to.”
One man who has come under defensive criticism in recent weeks is Brighton loanee Shane Duffy.
The Irish centre back arrived at Parkhead with a degree of expectancy, but his performances haven’t panned out quite the way he would have planned.
On the defender’s dip in confidence, Lennon said: “I will manage it the best way I see possible. Sometimes it’s not for public consumption.
“We have a duty of care to the player whether he is struggling with confidence or not. That’s the same with every player.
“He seems to be under the spotlight quite a bit. That’s the nature of the game up here sometimes, you’ve got to show a bit of personality and character and come through it. I’m sure he will.”
Lennon also confirmed that there would be no punishment for Moi Elyounoussi, who was caught on his mobile after being subbed off against Sparta Prague on Thursday.
He added: “There’s no issue. He has already come out and said he was just checking the results.
“I will take his word for that. He is a very conscientious player, a great lad. So there is no fall-out from that.”
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