The Bhoys have it all to do against FK Jablonec, and making a Celtic Predicted XI this early in the season is always a bit of a lottery.
Except, now we’ve gone from not having many options, to being unsure of who will get the nod. Against FC Midtjylland, and latterly in pre-season, these things wrote themselves.
Now, not so much. That’s the fun, though; we’re about to face a team we’ve never battled before, with some players in tow we’ve never seen in the Hoops.
Well, at least one, anyway.
Europa League qualification is on the line. Anything less than progression is unthinkable. Who will Ange Postecoglou pick to do the job?
Celtic Predicted XI: Big calls for Postecoglou
If Joe Hart can play, you’d certainly expect him to.
The former Manchester City, England and Spurs goalkeeper signed yesterday, but has already travelled with the squad. With Hart in the Czech Republic, this is the perfect introduction for him. He’s faced plenty of pressured occasions, and a Europa League qualifier shouldn’t really be an issue for him.
Having trained in pre-season with Spurs, he’ll surely be ready. The impact he’ll have on the Celtic defence really ought to be a step up, with neither Barkas nor Bain ever looking or sounding particularly authoritative.
In that defence? We’ve got to assume Greg Taylor, Carl Starfelt, Stephen Welsh and Anthony Ralston will start.
Would we like to put another right-back’s name in a Celtic Predicted XI? Certainly, yes. However, Ralston has actually picked things up in his last few outings. Carl Starfelt has an early disappointment in Edinburgh to avenge, while Taylor and Welsh remain automatic picks for now.
Nir Bitton featured against Hearts, but not to particularly great effect. Instead, it’s the young Scotsman we see getting the nod to partner Starfelt.
Celtic Predicted XI: regular faces to feature against Jablonec
With James McCarthy as yet unavailable, it shouldn’t take too much to figure out the Celtic midfield. Ismaila Soro needs a good game, and he’ll get his chance alongside captain Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie. David Turnbull just hasn’t looked himself yet, and the creative spark of Christie could unlock the Czech defence.
While Turnbull is an outstanding player – everyone knows this – he just hasn’t kicked into gear quite yet. More than decent in the first game against Midtjylland, he has since struggled to make an impact. The dynamic Invernesian Christie might get a chance, here.
An odd scenario up front
It seemed a formality that Odsonne Edouard would be leaving the club [Daily Record]. Premier League side Brighton had seemingly made their pitch to player and club, we got knocked out the Champions League; a familiar scenario was expected.
Think Moussa Dembele, Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong et al.
Yet, he’s still here, and you wouldn’t bet against him starting against FK Jablonec, even though he’s just not been good enough so far. Whether he’s distracted, lacking sharpness or whatever it is, he doesn’t look himself.
Even then, it’s hard to imagine Postecoglou not picking the Frenchman. That’s not a mark against the Greek-Aussie boss, it’s just that the back-up options are hardly inspiring, either.
On the left, we want to see Kyogo Furuhashi make his full debut, with Liel Abada on the other side. James Forrest doesn’t quite look right yet, and both newbies will be desperate to get off the mark, or in Abada’s case, build on his impressive full debut against FC Midtjylland.
There’s enough pace, raw energy and creativity to scare any decent defence there. Furuhashi has played all the right notes since joining, and a strong first start would do wonders for his confidence, and that of the supporters.
In other news: EFL boss very grateful to receive Celtic ‘keeper on loan
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
