Celtic’s festive season continues in a 3pm Boxing Day match away to Dundee in the Scottish Premiership and it’s another crucial encounter.
The Bhoys have no room for error at the top of the table, currently sitting two points ahead of second-placed Rangers, who hold a game in hand on the reigning champions.
With a derby coming up at the weekend, it’s especially important that the Bhoys don’t concede ground after getting back winning ways against Livingston.
Dundee are having a decent campaign after promotion from the Championship and will fight for every bit of the points in front of their home support at Dens.
What kind of team will manager Brendan Rodgers go for? Here’s our best go at today’s eleven.
Potential Celtic team vs Dundee
Joe Hart will continue in goal as usual with Scott Bain in reserve. It increasingly looks like the Bhoys will have to buy in a new goalkeeper for his position in the team to come under threat.
In defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales will be eager to build on their clean sheet against Livingston, with Greg Taylor in line to start on the left flank.
There’s no formal word on Alistair Johnston but he may well have picked up a knock towards the end of Saturday’s match and could be replaced by Anthony Ralston.
Paulo Bernardo was steady, if unspectacular at the weekend, and should have done enough to retain his place in the midfield with Tomoki Iwata still out. Odin Thiago Holm should have returned from illness to put himself into contention.
Matt O’Riley and Callum McGregor will be trusted in the other two central spots, with Rodgers likely to stick to the same formation.
In attack, Luis Palma and Kyogo Furuhashi were the players to show a cutting edge against Livi and should start again, with Daizen Maeda continuing his return to full match fitness on the right wing.
Your predicted XI in full is: Hart, Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Bernardo, O’Riley, Maeda, Palma, Kyogo.
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