Today’s Celtic match at home to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership presents the perfect opportunity for the Bhoys to bounce back from last week’s disappointing cup defeat.
Brendan Rodgers and the club have fielded tough questions throughout the week as transfers, injuries and style of play have all under scrutiny. This afternoon, that’s all put to one side in the quest for another three league points.
But what kind of team will the manager go far? Who’s in, who’s out, who could get a big opportunity? Here’s our best go at today’s starting eleven…
Although reports indicate Celtic are looking for a goalkeeper in the final stages of the summer transfer window, Joe Hart will continue as Rodgers’ number-one option today.
The good news is that Rodgers has declared Alistair Johnston fit and available for today’s match after telling reporters he’s looked good in training for the last couple of weeks. He wasn’t risked on last week’s artificial turf but should be involved today. It remains to be seen whether he will come off the bench or start, but we’re optimists so we’ve gone for the latter.
In the central defensive area, it’s another makeshift line-up with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh all out for months. That means Gustaf Lagerbielke is set to get massive responsibility alongside fringe option Liam Scales. With Greg Taylor on the left flank, there is at least some experience in that defensive line, but it’s far from an ideal line-up.
With Reo Hatate out of action until the September international break, a midfield three of Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and David Turnbull is on the cards today. Odin Thiago Holm got the nod over Turnbull at Rugby Park last week but the open pitch and attacking nature of Turnbull might give him the edge in selection today despite struggling in the win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
There have been online rumours about Liel Abada and a potential injury in the build-up to this one but there has been nothing official from the club or Rodgers on that, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed and including him in this eleven.
We could see a change on the opposite wing however after Hyunjun Yang’s recent impressive cameos off the bench. Celtic need a different kind of threat to break down defences – Abada and Daizen Maeda are very similar. It would be no surprise to see the South Korean handed his first start today.
That leaves the ever-reliable Kyogo Furuhashi to lead the line through the middle. He’ll be crucial today, as he always is and hopefully the stodgy Perth defence doesn’t frustrate him too much across the 90 minutes.
Your Predicted XI in full is: Hart, Johnston, Lagerbielke, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, O’Riley, Turnbull, Abada, Yang, Kyogo.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
