Celtic make the trip to Fir Park today to take on Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, aiming to keep their points lead at the top of the table.
The Bhoys remain undefeated in league action this season and picked up a creditable 3-0 win away to Livingston last weekend, despite going down to ten men in the first half.
That red card will have an impact on today’s team too, but what eleven will the manager go for? Who’s coming in and who’s dropping out? Here’s our best go at today’s starting side from Brendan Rodgers…
Joe Hart is suspended this afternoon after receiving those marching orders in West Lothian, leaving the manager with a selection headache. Rodgers suggested in his pre-match press conference that Benjamin Siegrist has a shot of being selected but it seems likely that Scott Bain will fill in.
In defence, the central partnership of Nat Phillips and Liam Scales should be resumed after their false start at home to Dundee. The Liverpool loanee picked up an ankle problem in that one and had to be substituted at half-time. With Gustaf Lagerbielk suspended for the visit of Lazio, Rodgers will likely want see Phillips and Scales get game time together and the Englishman’s injury is apparently much improved.
On the flanks, Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor will be included. Taylor was a man-of-the-match contender last week and Johnston has been in fine form since returning from injury.
The midfield trio of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley should be in place together ahead of that defence. Hatate is still building his fitness after a disrupted summer but having signed a new contract this week will be keen to show he’s earned it. O’Riley was simply superb against Livingston while McGregor is going to be ever-present this term when he is not injured.
With four goals in eight games already this season, Kyogo Furuhashi is a surefire bet to feature in the eleven today. We’ll see Hyeongyu Oh in the second half – Rodgers won’t want to take any chances with the Japanese star with Lazio around the corner – but Kyogo will be in from the start.
Daizen Maeda was another top performer at Almondvale last week and the manager will be keen to harness his energy and work rate again this afternoon. There’s an open spot on the other flank and although Rodgers went with James Forrest last week, we’re expecting to see Hyunjun Yang back in the line-up this lunchtime.
Your Predicted XI in full is: Bain, Johnston, Phillips, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, O’Riley, Yang, Maeda, Kyogo.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou makes it clear how much he still loves Celtic in new Sky Sports interview.
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