It’s derby day in Glasgow as Brendan Rodgers and Celtic make the short trip across the city to face their oldest foes Rangers.
The Irishman’s side have enjoyed a near-perfect start to the campaign on all fronts, and Sunday’s 4-0 hammering of St Johnstone extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 19 games. The Hoops currently sit a staggering 14 points clear of Phillippe Clement‘s men at the top of the table and will see this afternoon’s clash as the perfect opportunity to full even further clear as they look to claim a fourth Premiership title on the spin.
Celtic may also feel they have something of a point to prove following their last encounter with the Gers. Rodgers’ men emerged victorious against their rivals courtesy of a penalty shootout following a pulsating 3-3 draw in the final of the Premier Sports Cup at Hampden, but the Parkhead boss will be looking for a much more controlled performance this time round to demonstrate just why they are so far clear of Rangers as top dogs in Scotland.
And going into the game, Rodgers’ almost has a clean bill of health, with veteran winger James Forrest his only absentee. Auston Trusty has returned to the squad in the last two games following his recent injury but is likely to miss out to Liam Scales alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the Hoops back line. Greg Taylor and Alex Valle continue their tussle for the left back spot and the former’s experience in games of this magnitude could see him get the nod, with Alastair Johnston a shoo-in to start on the opposite flank.
Rodgers continues to have a wealth of options in midfield, with the likes of Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan all vying for the two remaining spots alongside skipper Callum McGregor. Hatate is likely to be included, so it is really a toss-up between Bernardo and £11million summer signing Engels for the third position.
The front three picks itself, with wide men Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn supporting Kyogo through the middle. The trio have been in electric form in recent weeks and are bound to have a big hand in the result if Celtic come away from Govan with all three points.
Provisional Celtic squad
Goalkeepers
- Kasper Schmeichel
- Viljami Sinisalo
- Scott Bain
Defenders
- Alistair Johnston
- Cameron Carter-Vickers
- Liam Scales
- Auston Trusty
- Alex Valle
- Greg Taylor
- Anthony Ralston
- Stephen Welsh
- Maik Nawrocki
Midfielders
- Callum McGregor
- Reo Hatate
- Paulo Bernardo
- Arne Engels
- Luke McCowan
- Luis Palma
- Yang Hyun-Jun
- Nicolas Kuhn
Forwards
- Daizen Maeda
- Kyogo Furuhashi
- Adam Idah