Michael Beale was sitting close enough to Ange Postecoglou at the managers’ Viaplay Cup final press conference that he could have asked him about his gamble in last season’s final which proved decisive in winning the trophy they will contest on Sunday.
Then again, the rival managers didn’t look like they were up for a cosy chat. Still, it’s true that Postecoglou’s decision to play Kyogo Furuhashi paid off big time last season as the Japan star netted a double against Hibs to claim the Celtic gaffer’s first silverware of his Parkhead tenure.
Kyogo missed the two previous games for the Hoops with a hamstring injury but repaid Postecoglou who threw him into the starting line-up. The Celtic manager doesn’t have such big decisions to make this time around, with Aaron Mooy possibly the only one who falls into that category. But opposite number Beale has plenty of them. Kemar Roofe has joined John Lundstram, Malik Tillman and Ryan Jack as just four of a lengthy injury list who are battling to be fit. He wants the players to be honest with him but there are no guarantees of that on such a big occasion.
The Rangers boss will have to weigh up the risk. There have been times when players have played only to be forced off early and it hasn’t affected the outcome. Roy Keane in the 2006 League Cup final win for Celtic over Dunfermline and Aaron Ramsey for Rangers against Celtic in last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final victory, to name just two.
However, it doesn’t always work out like that. And even when a player rated doubtful pre-match for a big occasion manages to get through the 90 minutes it can impact the rest of the team and the outcome of the match. Here, Record Sport looks at some of the occasions where risking an injured player has backfired.
Diego Costa - 2014 Champions League final
The striker lasted just NINE minutes as Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone’s gamble on his top scorer backfired spectacularly, forcing him into a reshuffle against rivals Real. Costa had netted 36 goals in all competitions that season so Simeone clearly felt he was worth the risk after passing a fitness test following a hamstring injury. But it was clearly the wrong choice as an early substitute was used and they eventually lost 4-1 in extra time in Lisbon.
Paul Lambert - 2002 Scottish Cup final
The midfielder was so crucial to Martin O’Neill’s side but was rated doubtful due to an ankle picked up against Rangers in a league game two weeks prior to them meeting at Hampden in the season showpiece. Despite that, he was thrown in but limped off just before the break as the Hoops went down to a last minute Peter Lovenkrands goal in a five-goal thriller. O’Neill, who had fitness doubts over some others, said: “It's down to me and Paul is absolutely and utterly blameless in this. He wanted to play and I was prepared to go into it.”
Harry Kane - 2019 Champions League final
The England captain was a major injury doubt for Spurs' biggest game in their history against Liverpool after he missed the final six weeks of the Premier League season with ligament injury. He made it back for the Madrid showpiece but was a shadow of himself with just one shot, 11 passes and 26 touches in total in the 2-0 defeat. Mauricio Pochettino still stood by the call, saying: “For sure if you put me in the same situation I would take the same decision again. Harry Kane was our main striker and was the best player in Tottenham and also in Europe and when he's fit to play you can't have doubts. It was no doubt we believed that it was the best team to win the game”.
Ronaldo - 1998 World Cup final
The most high profile example of all as the Brazilian superstar’s controversial inclusion made for an extraordinary story in the build-up to the Samba side’s final against hosts France in Paris. Unofficially, the striker was said to be suffering with an ankle injury picked up in the semi-final win over Holland and had only been deemed fit enough for the bench.
Edmundo was named in his place before a modified team sheet came half an hour later with Ronaldo back in. A below par display from the world superstar and his team-mates in a 3-0 defeat raises suspicions with details later emerging that he had a convulsion in the afternoon. Ronaldo admitted: "I played and maybe I affected the whole team because that convulsion was certainly something very scary. It's not something you see every day.”
Dennis Wise - 2004 FA Cup final
The Millwall player-manager was bidding to become the first player to win the trophy with three different clubs and was determined to feature despite suffering from a leg injury. He pulled out all the stops to make it but the Chelsea legend was nowhere near ready and it showed as the Lions were outclassed in a 3-0 defeat to Cristiano Ronald-inspired Manchester United. Wise was subbed late on.
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