Celtic suffered a 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig in the Europa League earlier this week. Brendan Rodgers now needs to regroup his side to face Heart of Midlothian at BT Murrayfield in Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-final and he will settle for nothing less than a win.
Celtic Team News
Rodgers has plenty of injuries and suspensions to worry about. Cristian Gamboa and Jozo Simunovic sustained knocks during the midweek Europa League fixture. First-choice central defender Dedryck Boyata is suspended for the game after having seen a red card against St. Johnstone.
Leigh Griffiths and Scott Brown are definitely going to miss out. Nir Bitton is nursing his knee injury whereas Kristoffer Ajer is still a few days away from making his return. Marvin Compper is back in training following his groin injury but is unlikely to feature.
CELTIC PREDICTED LINEUP VS HEARTS (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Craig Gordon is almost certain to start in goal as he has been Rodgers’ preferred goalkeeper so far this season. The custodian made a couple of very good saves against RB Leipzig to keep his side in the game. We expect the Bhoys to start with a four-man backline.
Jack Hendry is likely to start in central defence alongside Filip Benkovic. With Boyata suspended for the upcoming fixture, Hendry and Benkovic need to be at their very best to keep the opponents at bay.
Mikael Lustig might start at right-back and his experience will be vital for the Glasgow based outfit. Kieran Tierney is expected to be one of the first names on the team sheet and will line up at left-back.
Midfield
Eboue Kouassi’s tremendous work-rate should see him being picked in the central midfield. Alongside him, Olivier Ntcham is expected to start and will look to shield the back line as well as bring that extra bit of edge in the centre of the pitch.
Tom Rogic is likely to return for the clash against the Jambos. He has the ability to create goal scoring chances with his vision and creativity in the final third. The central attacking midfielder has been suffering from a knee injury and his return would be a notable boost for the Hoops.
Attack
Up top, Odsonne Edouard is expected to get the nod to start as the lone striker with Griffiths sidelined. He is a clinical goal-getter and has to be on hand to take the chances which come his way. James Forrest and Callum McGregor are likely to start on the flanks.
