It’s Friday before Scottish Cup final day and Brendan Rodgers is probably going to nail down his starting XI for the showpiece occasion.
The Celtic manager will face off against Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen for a chance to become the first Hoops boss to win three domestic Trebles.
The Bhoys are huge favourites to win the game, regardless of how Rodgers sets his side up – but he’ll want to get every last detail correct.
He will be without Reo Hatate due to injury, as well as winger Jota and defender Dane Murray. Apart from that, Celtic are otherwise fully fit.
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Dalziel wants James Forrest to start for Celtic vs Aberdeen
Much of the talk surrounding the cup final has been whether Rodgers starts James Forrest, Adam Idah and/or Nicolas Kuhn.
Kuhn wasn’t at his best against St Mirren, while Idah drew a blank. Forrest was the hero on Trophy Day as he bagged a Celtic goal for the 16th consecutive season.
And Open Goal pundit Gordon Dalziel thinks the form Forrest is in deserves a starting spot at Hampden on Saturday.
The former Rangers striker admits that Forrest starting or not is the only thing he cares about heading into the Scottish Cup final.
Dalziel said: “My biggest concern about the cup final is one thing. I’m only looking forward to seeing one thing – if Forrest is going to start.
“I thought he was good against them at Pittodrie, and then he gets his goal (against St Mirren). But who do you leave out? Do you leave out Idah and play (Daizen) Maeda through the middle?
“I would like to see Forrest come in because I think he’s in some form just now. I thought he was great on the Wednesday night, and then coming on (against St Mirren), that confidence booster with that goal.
“I would go for Forrest and Maeda through the middle. But Idah is scoring nearly every week, and he scores in the big games.”
Rodgers has Celtic attacking conundrum to work out
It’s very likely that Rodgers will start Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn, despite the latter being outshone by Forrest last weekend.
So it’s going to be a toss up between Idah and Forrest. Idah, as Dalziel points out, has scored 20 goals for the Hoops this season and was the star on the big occasion last year at Hampden.
He’s been in good form, even if some Celtic fans still manage to give him stick. Forrest has been great recently too, but he’s been more effective off the bench.
That is likely to come into Rodgers’ thinking. Forrest has terrorised Aberdeen and St Mirren’s tiring defences as a substitute in recent games, so why won’t the Celtic boss stick with that?
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