Celtic will return to action this evening as Ange Postecoglou’s side kick off their Scottish Cup campaign against Alloa Athletic. The Clackmannanshire outfit are managed by former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, who has said that he is hoping to cause an upset against the Hoops.
However, Celtic will be confident that they can sweep the League One aside and book their place in the Fifth Round draw. Alloa are currently 8th in Scotland’s third tier with the Indodrill Stadium side struggling since their relegation from the Championship. With that said, though, they will be keen to use the plastic pitch and conditions to their advantage – especially with Celtic likely to have an eye on the game at Tynecastle on Wednesday.
Team News
Ange Postecoglou indicated that he would be making some changes and spreading the game time to cope with the congested fixture schedule over the next few weeks. After signing a new deal at Celtic, Scott Bain is expected to take the gloves allowing No.1 Joe Hart to get a night off. Bain appears to be the deputy to Hart, despite Vasilis Barkas being in the squad.
In defence, Celtic are expected to welcome back Christopher Jullien after an extended period on the sidelines. It has been nearly 13 months since the Frenchman smashed his knee against the post versus Dundee United and he will be keen to return to action this evening. However, it is unlikely he will be handed a start with the manager more likely to use Stephen Welsh and Nir Bitton, if he were to want to offer Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers a rest given the amount of games coming up. Josip Juranovic and Greg Taylor are the preferred fullback options but Postecoglou will likely give game time to other players in the squad.
In midfield, David Turnbull remains sidelined with a hamstring injury but the manager will be able to call upon Ideguchi, Hatate, McGregor, Rogic and McCarthy to make up the midfield three. New signing Matt O’Riley is set to train on Monday so it is unlikely he will make the squad. Postecoglou will be considering the game against Hearts on Wednesday as well as the next two home fixtures against Dundee United and Rangers so will be unlikely to want to burden any of his key players by playing them in all three. Rogic, who recently won December’s Goal of the Month for his strike at Tanandice will depart for Socceroos duty, so Ange may want to get the most out of him before he leaves next week.
In attack, Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti are still injured and unavailable. Daizen Maeda scored on his debut before being replaced by Giorgos Giakoumakis in the second half, the Greek striker will be keen to get a start and show that he is an able option for the manager to call upon. The player has the added hunger of knowing that Maeda will be on International Duty for the game against Rangers so if he proves himself, Celtic’s No.7 can start the game. Mikey Johnston, Liel Abada, James Forrest and Jota will all fancy getting involved against the minnows. However, the manager will be wary of the plastic pitch and aggravating any issues for his wide players.
Predicted XI: Bain; Ralston, Welsh, Bitton, Scales; McCarthy, Ideguchi, Rogic; Johnston, Giakoumakis, Forrest.
Kick Off Time
The game will kick off at 17:30 (Celtic Park time).
Where to Watch
Celtic fans (in the UK & Ireland) will be able to watch the game on Premier Sports, with coverage starting at 5pm. Fans outside the UK & Ireland will be able to watch on Celtic TV.
