Crystal Palace's midfield is an interesting one. 

While Roy Hodgson isn't exactly renowned for constructing an engine room akin to that of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, the 73-year-old has his favourites in the middle of the park and appears to favour the functional over the fantastic. 

Indeed, Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur - two of the Eagles' top six tacklers per game via WhoScored - have been the two most frequently deployed men in central positions so far, though it must be said the somewhat more expansive passer in Jairo Riediewald has started to stake his claim recently. 

One man largely out of the picture, however, is James McCarthy. 

Signed from Everton in 2019, the Republic of Ireland international has been handed only 332 minutes of Premier League action this season and has not featured at all in over a month. 

According to EuroSport, the 30-year-old would consider an exit in January amid transfer interest from Celtic, the team he supported as a boy. 

Way behind bitter rivals Rangers in the title race, the Scottish champions are said to be working hard on a plan to bring him north of the border. 

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says...

With reports from The Athletic back in November suggesting Palace were keen to introduce some more youth and vigour into their squad by driving down the average age, letting McCarthy go would make sense. 

Given the options ahead of him and Jairo Riediewald's emergence as a central midfielder, there appears to be little hope of securing much in the way of first-team football at Selhurst Park. 

Out of contract in 2022, the chances of selling him for any sort of fee are dwindling as it is, so it's certainly an option that should be explored should Celtic manage to piece together a remotely suitable offer.