Celtic take the short trip to Fir Park to face Motherwell this afternoon. The Scottish Champions will be keen to return to winning ways after back to back draws against Aberdeen and Atalanta. Celtic left it late to beat the Steelmen on their visits to North Lanarkshire last season and will be hoping to continue their excellent away form this year.
With games coming thick and fast, Brendan may be considering rotating some players in order to protect against fatigue and burnout. However, the likelihood is that he will utilise the five subs to address this comcern rather than changing the starting XI too drastically.
Celtic go into the game with the added boost of Cameron Carter-Vickers. The USA Internationalist has been training with a view to returning to the team but missed the trip to Bergamo. The central defender will be in contention to return to the team but you’d imagine that the manager will get him some game time but from the bench. You would, therefore, imagine that the defensive pairing would be the same with Auston Trusty and Liam Scales starting.
Greg Taylor has been training but the game will likely be too soon for the Scotland International. Alex Valle will continue at left back with Alistair Johnston at right back.
There have been plenty calls for Luke McCowan to be handed his first Celtic start but given the competition in the midfield, it is unlikely that the manager will make change too much in the midfield. The midfield three will consist of Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and probably Reo Hatate with Paulo Bernardo and McCowan offering depth.
In attack, the manager will likely return to the preferred trio of Nicolas Kühn, Kyogo and Daizen Maeda with firepower from Idah, Luis Palma, James Forrest and Yang coming from the bench.
Would expect a few changes to the atalanta starting 11 myself?
Think it may be very risky in starting AJ and so maybe ralston should start?
Think CCV might start, to see what his recovery is going to be, especially with the semi final and Leipzig matches on the horizon?
Wouldn’t say CCV would be up to 3 games in a week, just yet either at present?
Also think Rodgers might look to Paulo for being his 90 minute midfield player today?
Could allow for Engels to replace calmac, if all is going well?
Same way it could allow Hatate and McCowan to share the position, with Hatate starting, even if I think McCowan has earned the right to do so imo?
Expect kyogo to replace idah, and maybe Palma could give Maeda a well earned rest also?
Kuhn remains Rodgers go to player down the right still.
As long as we are comfortable with winning, then forrest should be able to replace Kuhn later on hopefully?
Yang might get the opportunity also, again if comfortable, to replace Palma and give Maeda the day off?
Scales is another who has earned a day off also, as Rodgers could try out Trusty in his position, but highly unlikely with Scales playing so well at present?
Regardless of the starting 11, we are very close to having an all round squad, where rotation can start becoming easier for Rodgers to do so?
Still a fair few, that Rodgers doesn’t seem to trust to start games still, which has depended upon the freshness from the bench to get ourselves over the line, on a few occasions to date?
Still think that the freshness required might be better served with starting games, than relying upon it from the bench imo?