OLIVIER NTCHAM has failed to recover from his ankle strain and will miss tomorrow’s game at Pittodrie. With Ryan Christie also absent due to suspension, Neil Lennon is likely to start with Tom Rogic in the number 10 role, just behind Odsonne Edouard.
There’s some better news on the injury front with Mikey Johnston returning to full fitness and joins the squad that will travel up to Aberdeen this morning. Leigh Griffiths also remains sidelined but should be returning to full training next week.
Neil Lennon spoke yesterday about resisting the urge to make too many changes to the side after a big European night but did note that the team performed very well in beating Cluj only to lose in the early Sunday kick-off against Livingston.
Celtic seem to have these difficult away games after European nights, while the scheduling has been kinder to the Rangers who yet again have a home match, this time against Motherwell. They have played their previous two home post Euroopa games after Celtic dropped points at Hibs (1-1) and Livingston (a 2-0 defeat) and they were suitably motivated by those results to put five past both Aberdeen and Hamilton at Ibrox.
Celtic really can’t go on giving them this type of encouragement and a win tomorrow at Pittodrie will heap the pressure on them to keep pace. And another point worth noting is that after this weekend and in the run up to the end of the year their league schedule looks considerably tougher than Celtic’s – and that’s because of the disproportionally high number of away games we’ve had to date contrasting with their abundance of home fixtures.
A nice easy start to the season, guaranteed home games after the known European midweeks and the first Old Firm (sic, and copyright Peter Lawwell, the man who next month will kill Res 12 – see HERE) at Ibrox. Generous in the extreme those match schedulers.
The Celtic players heading to Aberdeen this morning are
Keepers – Forster, Gordon
Full Backs – Frimpong, Bauer, Elhamed, Bolingoli, Taylor
Central Defenders – Jullien, Ajer and Bitton
Midfielders – Rogic, Brown, McGregor and Hayes
Wingers – Forrest, Elyounoussi, Johnston and Morgan
Strikers – Edouard, Bayo
Both full-backs on Thursday night were substituted after putting in incredible shifts, so the Celtic manager may opt to give Elhamed and Bolingoli a rest. That could open spaces in the starting line-up for either Moritz Bauer and Greg Taylor to start. Given Aberdeen’s height and physicality it might not be the best match for young Jeremie Frimpong to make his away debut but you never know – and he was sensational last weekend in the 6-0 win over Ross County.
Predicted team and we’ve been getting these either bang on or 10/11 this season…
Forster
Bauer, Ajer, Jullien, Taylor
Brown, McGregor
Forrest, Rogic, Elyounoussi
Edouard.
Just like Thursday night this has the feel of a hugely significant game. Winning this game is one of those that come the end of the season, we look back and say that it was a crucial afternoon in determining the destination of the Premiership trophy. Let’s do it Celtic. Neil Lennon’s Media Conference from yesterday is below. COYBIG.
