Fraser Forster has detailed his ideal Europa League scenario – that would also give the club a boost on the domestic front.
The Englishman has been an integral part of the unbeaten group stage campaign that has seen us qualify for the last 32 with two games to spare.
All that remains to be settled, from a Celtic point of view, is top spot. That can be achieved this Thursday if we beat Rennes and Lazio defeat Cluj. Failing that, the top spot debate will roll onto matchday six when we travel to the Romanians.
However, Forster is hoping that things will be sorted out this midweek and that trip to Cluj will be nothing other than a dead rubber.
“We’re in a fantastic position,” he told the Scottish Sun. “Obviously now we just want to go out and win the group and finish it off well.
“It would be great of we could do that in our final home game and kind of park it until after Christmas.
“It’s just been fantastic so far. From that first game against Rennes we’ve really delivered in the European matches.”
Forster scenario wouldn’t just help us in the Europa League
“Park it” is almost the perfect term for what the team should be looking to do on matchday six. Nobody could have predicted that we would be in the position of having top spot secured after five matchdays, but it’s a very real possibility now.
Having so many games during the month of December, it would be perfect if we were given the opportunity to rest the majority of our stars in Cluj. Most of our other fixtures in the month are pretty meaty so opportunities to rest the likes of Scott Brown and Callum McGregor may be few and far between.
The clash in Romania comes between the Betfred Cup final against Rangers and a league match at home to Hibernian. That latter fixture is looking trickier by the day as Jack Ross continues to improve the Leith side’s fortunes.
Having our players fresh for that fixture could be really important. Compare it to Rangers who face Young Boys that midweek in an important Europa League clash before heading to Motherwell three days later.
They will be forced to play their top side for virtually every clash next month. We can afford ourselves a bit of respite if we take care of business on Thursday.
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