Celtic will look to extend their slender lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to three points when Kilmarnock travel to Parkhead on Saturday.
Brendan Rodgers’ men are on a run of eight victories in their last nine matches and have finally started to string together some consistent momentum.
Despite this, the Bhoys hold the slimmest of advantages at the league summit by virtue of goals scored and know they have little margin for error this weekend against their Ayrshire opposition.
Derek McInnes has already tasted success on two occasions against Celtic this term. The 52-year-old will be keen to go one further this time around by achieving a rare triumph in Glasgow’s east end.
There has been a narrative detailing a momentum shift in the title race portrayed by some of late; however, the Scottish Premiership holders now have a chance to set the record straight in front of a sold-out home crowd.
Without further ado, 67 Hail Hail examines three key decisions Rodgers will need to consider in the lead-up to his side’s tussle with Kilmarnock.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has options in the left-back role
Greg Taylor will provide a timely boost for Rodgers this weekend after it emerged that the left-back has recovered from a calf strain he sustained last month.
The Celtic manager will need to decide if he is fit enough to take part from the start, though he will also have to weigh up Alexandro Bernabei’s recent performances during his absence.
Bernabei is someone who is an unquantifiable presence on the left-hand side of the defence, as detailed by analyst Stewart Ross below, curated via StatsBomb. Nevertheless, he does cover a lot of space in a relatively short period of time, offering a direct attacking threat from the flank.
Bernabei’s explosivity may grant him a fighting chance of a fourth successive league start, per Transfermarkt. Conversely, in possession, Taylor’s ability to regularly progress the ball has been missed, leaving Rodgers with a difficult choice to make between the pair.
Celtic have a dilemma over their recent formation change
Last weekend, Rodgers opted for a two-man strikeforce of Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah during the Bhoys’ 2-0 victory over St Mirren, with the former given a licence to roam in slightly deeper areas of the field rather than aiming to get in behind the last line of defence.
Despite appearing to be an unconventional move on paper, Furuhashi found himself far more involved than in his displays over the last few weeks, opening the scoring on 15 minutes.
Republic of Ireland international Idah’s physical presence helped to pin back the Buddies’ rearguard. It remains to be seen whether Celtic repeat the trick on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking earlier this week, Rodgers hailed his tactical tweak that helped to unleash Furuhashi, stating: “Whenever you have someone like Adam who can run in behind, and he can be a reference for you, it gives Kyogo that bit more freedom to drop underneath if he wants to.”
Paulo Bernardo may be the fall guy for Celtic in new system
Portugal Under-21 international Paulo Bernardo was the man to make way for Furuhashi to start at the SMiSA Stadium, bringing the curtain down on his recent run in the team.
The 22-year-old has sparked into life since the Christmas period, notching three strikes and two assists in his last nine outings [Transfermarkt].
Despite this, his offensive influence has started to wane slightly from midfield, though his industrious nature may be needed against a battle-hardened Kilmarnock midfield.
Bernardo has made an average of 1.9 successful challenges per Scottish Premiership match this term, and leaving the Almada-born man out for a second week in a row would be harsh, all things considered [Sofascore].
Either way, all that matters is that Celtic get the job done and take another step closer to claiming a third league title on the trot.
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