Celtic registered a 1-0 win over St. Johnstone in the midweek Betfred Cup fixture and this weekend, they turn their attention back to the Scottish Premiership. The Hoops have had an unimpressive start to their league campaign and are 6th in the league table with 10 points from 6 games.
Their last league outing ended in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and they have to raise their game after a few subpar performances in the last few outings. However, Aberdeen are a strong side and they will give Brendan Rodgers’ men a tough fight at the Celtic Park on Saturday.
Celtic Team News
Kristoffer Ajer is expected to be out for around six weeks due to a hamstring injury which he suffered against St. Johnstone. Jozo Simunovic and Nir Bitton are still sidelined but Filip Benkovic could return to face the Dons after missing the midweek game owing to an Achilles problem.
PREDICTED CELTIC LINE-UP (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Craig Gordon should start between the sticks against Derek McInnes’ side. He was on the bench for the Betfred Cup clash and considering that he is Celtic’s undisputed first-choice custodian, he should return to the starting line-up.
We expect Rodgers to deploy a four-man backline comprising of Dedryck Boyata and Jack Hendry as the centre-halves. Hendry’s form has been dented by injuries on plenty of occasions but now that he is fit, he will be aiming to impress his manager.
Mikael Lustig has been far from impressive so far this season but Rodgers might persist with him in the right-back slot. Kieran Tierney start on the opposite flank.
Midfield
Olivier Ntcham and Scott Brown are likely to form the two-man pivot. The tempo of the game will depend on how well they can pass the ball around and retrieve possession. Tom Rogic’s brilliance from the no.10 role will also play a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of the game.
Attack
Leigh Griffiths is likely to get the nod to start up front. With James Forrest on the right wing and Callum McGregor on the left, Griffiths should get enough support from both the wings to make his presence felt.
