Celtic fans were given three injury boosts in one day yesterday after Neil Lennon’s comments on James Forrest.
The Hoops supporters saw both Greg Taylor and Leigh Griffiths return to action in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock. Both men looked sharp, with Griffiths getting in on the act with a goal too.
However, both of them missed the 1-1 draw in Copenhagen, with initial fears that they may have missed the tie altogether. Griffiths was left at home for the first leg whilst Taylor picked up a hamstring complaint at Aberdeen.
And Lennon provided supporters with a third piece of good news on the injury front regarding James Forrest. Speaking to the BBC after the win against Killie, here’s what the manager had to say:
“Jamesy should be fine (for Copenhagen game). Oli (Ntcham) had a slight calf strain so I’m hoping he’ll be OK. Browny’s got a stresser in the toe area so we’ll see how he is.”
Forrest to come right in if fit
It’s all dependent on shape as to whether Jeremie Frimpong keeps his place or not, but James Forrest will come back in on Thursday regardless.
If Neil stays with the 3-5-2, Forrest, you would suspect, would be our right wing-back. If he goes with a 4-2-3-1 on Thursday instead, that could give Frimpong a more than likely chance to stay in the side.
But it’s just great news for Celtic that Forrest will likely be fit for the game. His experience always proves vital in European matches, and that was proven in Copenhagen with a decent first-leg performance overall.
There are still question marks hovering over Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham of course. Both men missed the 3-1 win over Killie yesterday, and it certainly told in how we started the game. Having both back could be crucial to Celtic progressing smoothly this week.
Neil interestingly used yesterday as an opportunity to put Ryan Christie and Tom Rogic in the same team. The former will be suspended for Thursday night, but if Ntcham and Brown are out, Rogic may very well find himself in the starting line-up again.
How should Celtic shape up against Copenhagen? Is James Forrest going to be a key player on the night? Let us know your thoughts in our discussion forum below.
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