Having played four consecutive matches away from home, Neil Lennon’s Celtic look to continue their 100% start to 2020 when the Bhoys return to Celtic Park tomorrow. Hearts are the visitors, with the Edinburgh club looking to build on their recently improved form to climb off the bottom of the table, whereas Celtic look to maintain or indeed extend their seven point advantage at the top.
Speaking to the media and Celtic website at Lennoxtown today, Neil Lennon said: “I’m really pleased with the form that we’re in and I’m really pleased with the form of some of the individual players as well, so we just want to build momentum and keep it going. It’s a home game and our home form has been superb this season, but we’re not taking anything for granted.
We’ve got a few players back. Hatem Elhamed and Nir Bitton are back in training, and obviously Mo Elyounoussi and Ryan Christie got a run-out at the weekend. For Hatem and Nir, tomorrow might be too early, but the rest of the squad’s fine and there are no fresh injuries from the weekend. Getting players back at any time is a good time, but with the influx of games coming up, it’s great to have them all back.”
Celtic have faced Hearts three times this season, picking up maximum points and scoring eight goals in the process. Nevertheless, Hearts have recorded some impressive results of late, including the 2-1 defeat of ‘Rangers’. Therefore, it is none too surprising that the Celtic manager won’t be taking his opponent’s lightly:
“Hearts had a good window and brought in some good players. We know Liam Boyce from his time at Ross County and I know him from when he was a young player in Belfast, so he’s a talented player. Toby Sibbick looks like a good find as well, and obviously, under Daniel it’s going to be a new style of play and new principles. It’ll be a test. Daniel’s a positive, forward-thinking manager and I think the game may be open tomorrow. We will certainly try and attack, and we’ll be ready for whatever Hearts try to throw at us. Sometimes teams sit in but sometimes teams come and have a go, so we’ll see how that pans out.”
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