Celtic face St Mirren this evening in the final Cinch Premiership game before the winter break. The Scottish Champions will look to kick off 2024 with a win in Paisley after beating Rangers in the Glasgow Derby on Saturday.
You would expect the manager to make just one change from the team that started the game at the weekend with Maik Nawrocki coming in for Stephen Welsh. Despite Reo Hatate and Liel Abada returning to fitness, the manager will probably continue with the team that started at the weekend with the exception of that enforced change.
Joe Hart will start in goals. However, Celtic go into the game without Welsh, who injured his shoulder in the first half against Rangers. The Scottish defender rushed across to atone for a poor backpass from Alistair Johnston and slid in to tackle Cyriel Dessers, who failed to score.
Welsh joins Cameron Carter-Vickers on the treatment table, who injured his hamstring in the Boxing Day win at Dens Park. Expect Nawrocki to come in alongside Liam Scales at centre-back as the Polish defender did on Saturday, with Gustaf Lagerbielke deputising. Greg Taylor and Alistair Johnston will likely continue at full-back.
In midfield, you would expect the Celtic manager to continue with an unchanged trio of Paulo Bernardo, Matt O’Riley and skipper Callum McGregor, who was the best player on the park against Rangers.
In attack, match-winner Kyogo will start through the middle with Luis Palma and Daizen Maeda on the flanks.
Predicted XI: Hart; Johnston, Nawrocki, Scales, Taylor; McGregor, O’Riley, Bernardo; Maeda, Kyogo, Palma.
