One thing is for certain ahead of Greg Taylor’s latest league outing and that’s Brendan Rodgers won’t be missing with a bitten tongue.
The Hoops boss has told fans he won’t be keeping his thoughts to himself after rebuking them for letting their frustrations get the better of them at 0-0 against St Mirren on Sunday, and for disrespecting full-back Taylor by singing for Kieran Tierney against the Buddies. How punters have taken the manager doubling down on his comments will be evident when Dundee Utd visit Parkhead for the midweek clash.
Taylor will almost certainly start, and in the process will clock up his 200th game for the club. How many more he manages will depend on whether Tierney comes back this month and whether Taylor signs a new deal, which is looking unlikely. Rodgers mixed it up to an extent in the win over the Paisley side, with Adam Idah coming in for Kyogo up front and Luke McCowan was handed a starting berth in midfield.
With an early start up at Ross County on Saturday, Rodgers could be tempted to rotate again to keep things fresh as a schedule of eight matches over the next 25 days kicks off. Paulo Bernardo didn’t feature at all at the weekend, while Reo Hatate and Kyogo both came off the bench alongside Yang and Luis Palma.
James Forrest is the only absentee through injury, while young striker Johnny Kenny is back from his loan at Shamrock Rovers and will be eyeing a place on the bench. With Stephen Welsh on the verge of leaving for Belgium, Rodgers has recalled Dane Murray from Queen’s Park for extra defensive cover.
Record Sport looks at how the champions could shape up.
Predicted Celtic XI
Provisional Celtic squad
Goalkeepers
- Kasper Schmeichel
- Viljami Sinisalo
- Scott Bain
Defenders
- Alistair Johnston
- Anthony Ralston
- Auston Trusty
- Camero Carter-Vickers
- Liam Scales
- Maik Nawrocki
- Dane Murray
- Greg Taylor
- Alex Valle
Midfielders
- Callum McGregor
- Luke McCowan
- Odin Holm
- Paulo Bernardo
- Reo Hatate
- Arne Engels
- Luis Palma
- Yang
Forwards
- Nicolas Kuhn
- Dazien Maeda
- Kyogo
- Adam Idah
- Johnny Kenny