RIGHT then it is back to bread and butter Scottish fitba today against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park. We follow this up with a midweek League Cup tie against a Partick Thistle side who have recently sacked Gary ‘Heid’ Caldwell and are basically a burst baw at present. A 3-0 home defeat against Dunfermline is evidence enough of that.

Considering the somewhat heavy schedule of domestic and European football ahead, it strikes me the opportunity at long, long last has arisen for a few tired bodies to rest up and an opportunity to do that over 2 games rather than one.

Let’s take the Kilmarnock game first of all. The somewhat xenophobic undertones to the SMSM treatment of Italian manager Angelo Alessio looks now like it may have been based on little more than a new guy learning the ropes rather than a chap who was a Pedro Caxinha in the making. This gets in the way of the Scottish ‘knows our league’ merry-go-round alternatives that were overlooked despite being punted by their pals in the press. These pesky foreigners do get in the way of the order of things don’t they?

Alessio’s pedigree is sound. Few teams in Scotland would have considered broaching the subject of attracting Antonio Conte’s assistant and much like the appointment of Steve Clarke the Rugby Park board deserve great credit for casting the recruitment far, wide and with a touch of gambling ambition.

You kinda must know you’re on the right track when Kirk Broadfoot jumps ship and criticises the training routine. If you’re a manager taking on board some self-reflection after a Connah’s Quay Nomads defeat and a poor start to the season, then sight of an ageing journeyman jumping ship and bleating like a new born lamb to his press pals should be a sign, it’s only hard work and discipline you’re asking of your players.

It’s evidence further when those within the remaining rank and file jump to your defence and say as much as it is hard work the club is moving in the right direction. Killie have got a lot of things right since their boardroom coup. To underestimate them as a defensive side would be folly. That said, to overstate their attacking qualities would mean ignoring an obvious weakness.

As such, Celtic at home against a side who will eventually base themselves on a counter attacking Juve style approach should have no fears in going all-out attack. As much as Alessio’s side will eventually be built in the mould of Italian pragmatism they are lacking in genuine counter attacking ability. Angelo is still drilling the defence. He’s not yet employed the tools that can hurt Celtic on the counter. Especially not with Celtic’s own recent improvement in defence giving us the necessary freedom to spread our wings.

This is a game that Kilmarnock will set up for damage limitation. They’ll hope we have a bad day and they can somehow get luck. Sadly for them it’s far too early in their transition to assume they’ll be able to do that.

In goal Neil Lennon will stick with ‘The Wall’. Fraser Forster is getting up to speed now and is clearly trusted fully by the manager.

With Bolingoli’s injury in Rennes it is very much likely Greg Taylor will make his debut against his former club at left back. It’s funny how things work out and but the opportunity to play Taylor in two consecutive games shouldn’t be missed. Both Killie and Thistle at home are ideal times to bed the new bhoy in.

Ajer and Jullien remain the centre defence partnership. Injury elsewhere to Bitton and Simunovic necessitates the status quo and while Lee O’Connor has apparently impressed already there is no point breaking up that partnership just yet. Wednesday however may be a different story.

At right back Elhamed will surely be rested to allow Moritz Bauer the opportunity to make his home debut. Elhamed has played through the pain barrier to date. This included playing at Ibrox with a hairline fracture of the leg and no training for ten days, it’s time to give the Israeli international a week off and let Bauer show us all what he’s got.

In Midfield there is no need to rest Scott Brown. He’s had a break already at Carnoustie and St Andrews while his pals were torturing themselves (especially those involved with Scotland) on international duty. There’s another similar break next month and without any real alternative anyway it appears the footballing calendar is already inserting break clauses for the Captain. For now at least.

Callum McGregor is a different story. Callum needs a well-earned and overdue rest. Olivier Ntcham can deputise and while I must admit to reservations on Ntcham playing anywhere deeper than the number 10 role it appears needs must. With Killie unlikely to expose the limitations and Thistle even less able to do so, Ntcham will surely get back to back outings and Callum can put his feet up and catch up with Peaky Blinders on Catch up.

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On the left Mohamed Elyounoussi will surely get more game time as he strides towards genuine match sharpness. He looked decent enough against Hamilton but really impressed me against Rennes. In the first half he was one of our very best performers and a choice of studs away from scoring from Boli’s fantastic cross.

His fitness is the only thing lacking. His ability will come to the fore more predominately when he’s up to speed physically. He’s a player we’re going to have to allow the licence to roam, at home especially we can afford him just that. At Southampton in the lower reaches of the Premier league dogfight you can see such freedom couldn’t or wouldn’t be allowed. At Celtic we’ll give him that. This lad is certainly, unequivocally and without any shadow of a doubt the real deal when afforded the licence to create. He’s your bet for first scorer today.

On the right James Forrest could also probably do with being rested but given he’s shown no signs of needing it and the fact he can and will down tools against Thistle, I’d play him against Killie. He scored the winner against Hamilton and won the penalty against Rennes. He’s on fire at the moment and if we’re resting others there’s no need at all to take a firing on all cylinders Forrest out just yet.

Ryan Christie however is a different matter. His all action style is likely to seize up than slowly fade. As such I’d put the lad on the bench for Killie and Thistle and give Tom Rogic an hour in both encounters. We can then let Ryan just tick over rather than over expose him unnecessarily. This is the ideal opportunity to let our Invernestia just cool off slightly and allow Rogic a couple of games to get an hour or so under his belt.

Up front I think we’ll stick with Edouard. He was substituted midweek and he hasn’t looked particularly weary. We may also need his guile to break down a deep lying midfield. Again I wouldn’t expect French Eddy to be near the match day squad against Partick Thistle but I’m sure we’ll play him against Killie and get him off when we’re a couple of goals to the good. Bayo and Griffiths who it appears will have recovered from his dead leg can deputise ably and both will be champing at the bit, be that late in the game tomorrow or 90 minutes on Wednesday.

Squad rotation needs to happen this season. Overuse of key players has been our Achilles heel and with a group now with reasonable depth we can utilise it fully. I’d like it taken further against Thistle in midweek but for now we need to be earmarking home games in particular to rest certain players.

Away from home we’ll need a more disciplined and experienced side. At Celtic Park we can take the chances to rotate that we missed last season. My worry for Callum McGregor in particular is that he becomes this season’s Kieran Tierney. We need to tell players when to rest, they can’t be allowed to dictate their own schedules.

The next seven days is a genuine opportunity to pull a few key players out and rest some weary legs whether they want to or not.

Niall J

ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…

Sutton’s Savage Put Down as Larsson Edges closer to Southend Job…see HERE.

‘European smart – Exactly why I wanted Neil Lennon to get the Celtic job,’ Niall J…see HERE.

Celtic’s Jolly Green Giants – Forster praises Ajer and Jullien…see HERE.

Europa League – No chicken counting but we have good reason to be positive…see HERE.

Celtic and AIK Stockholm hit with UEFA fines…see HERE.

‘Let them scoff and jeer. Celtic will yet win to their proper position by their merits and those who scoff today will one day have to applaud,’ John Glass…see HERE.