Seamless Celtic throw up quandaries: cap calls for new darling, early spook for 22y/o and who drops out

Brendan Rodgers' side overcame the absence of captain Callum McGregor and their Herculean midweek Champions League exertions to return to the top of the William Hill Premiership with a 3-0 win at Motherwell. The victory, comprehensive in the end thanks to goals from Luke McCowan, Alistair Johnston and substitute Adam Idah, came after a rocky start when the Hoops were twice saved by the woodwork. The failure to take advantage of their promising start was to prove the Steelmen's undoing as once Celtic regained composure, seized control, and went ahead through McCowan, there was only going to be one winner.

McCowan has looked the part for Celtic with several eye-catching cameos off the bench since his £1million arrival from Dundee on transfer deadline day but he properly announced himself on his first start with a bright and industrious display capped off by a self-made opening goal. He picked up Alex Valle's pass 30 yards from goal before bustling past defender Kofi Balmer, driving into the box, and steering a clinical finish beyond Aston Oxborough.

McCowan has already shown he is more than just a squad filler at Celtic and, based on this 75-minute showing, it will be the first of many starts in green and white, with the potential to lead to dark blue in the future. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has good options in midfield but McCowan was worthy of consideration before his move to Celtic, and even more so now he is proving himself on a bigger stage.

McGregor was a surprise absentee from the Celtic squad for the first time this season due to an adductor injury but the positive news for the Hoops was the return of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Greg Taylor to the bench. Alistair Johnston's standing at the club was reflected in the Canadian international being handed the captain's armband. Rodgers freshened up with four changes from Tuesday's draw at Atalanta. While McCowan was the one promoted to the starting line-up by McGregor's absence, it was Paulo Bernardo who took the Celtic skipper's place at the base of the midfield with McCowan and Hatate the more advanced of the new-look midfield trio.

This change of role seemed to spook Bernardo in the early exchanges and his cumbersome touch on eight minutes as he received the ball deep in his own half with his back to play allowed Motherwell striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos to steal possession and race through on goal. The Australian failed to take advantage as his heavy touch allowed Kasper Schmeichel to force him away from goal, passing to Lennon Miller 25 yards out, who cracked a shot off the post as the Celtic goalkeeper scrambled back to his line. The visitors received another let off two minutes later when Miller thundered a free-kick against the bar with Schmeichel beaten all ends up.

Celtic had required stoppage time goals to secure three points on both of their visits to Fir Park last season and - based on the start - another tough afternoon appeared in store for the defending champions. However, inspired by McCowan, who was picking up pockets of space and providing a spark, Celtic steadily tightened their grip on the game, leading to the Ayr United product’s 27th minute opener which proved the turning point.

Motherwell were rarely seen as an attacking threat thereafter and would have been 2-0 down at the break were it not for a VAR intervention - a correct one - that ruled out a Daizen Maeda goal for handball as the Japanese striker used a hand to slap the ball towards goal as he fell in a tussle with Stephen O’Donnell. Celtic's second goal 11 minutes into the second half would have pleased Rodgers no end. His team had the Motherwell defence pinned back with one full-back crossing to the other as Valle's delivery was nodded in at close range by Johnston.

Carter-Vickers arrival in the 68th minute for his first appearance since the 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava on September 18 saw him assume the armband from Johnston, with Scales pushed out to left-back as the USA defender took his place alongside his international colleague Auston Trusty in the centre of the back four. Rodgers now faces a dilemma over his strongest centre-back pairing - his two £6m recruits or the dependable Scales who has never put a foot wrong.

Idah came off the bench and struck the outside of the post with first touch before getting his goal with two minutes remaining as he steered home a cutback from fellow substitute Nicolas Kuhn at the near post. The match was petering out when 'Well defender Liam Gordon caught Idah on the back of the ankle in injury time to earn a red card following a VAR review and leave the Irishman limping. The decision looked to be the correct one, despite Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell's protestations afterwards that a yellow card would have sufficed.