Gordon Strachan has insisted Callum McGregor is "irreplaceable" at Celtic and reckons keeping him fit could be a major factor in the title race.

The former Celtic boss told Lord Ping that he'd go so far as to take McGregor home every night and keep him wrapped in cotton wool to avoid any issues.

Strachan - also a former Scotland manager - reckons Brendan Rodgers' squad is capable of handling absences from any other player in the squad.

But he's certain McGregor would be a huge loss for Celtic should he suffer an injury as he called for the midfielder to be protected.

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Speaking to Lord Ping, Strachan said: "I think that Celtic can handle the absences of every single player apart from one man: Callum McGregor.

"He is irreplaceable. If he got injured, I would be worried.

"If I was a Celtic fan, I wouldn’t worry about what Brendan is saying to the media, I’d be worried about keeping McGregor fit for the remainder of the season.

"If I was the Celtic manager, I would take home Callum McGregor home every night after training and sit him down next to me. I’d keep him fed, watered, and wrapped in cotton wool.

"I’d tuck him into bed at night because he is such an important figure for Celtic Football Club.