Brendan Rodgers has named his team for this afternoon’s game against Rangers. The Scottish Champions travel to Ibrox for the first Glasgow Derby of the season and they will be keen to dispel any doubts regarding their form with a win against their city rivals.
Rodgers boasts an impressive record in this fixture with just one defeat in thirteen. The Irishman will be hoping that continues today. Rodgers will have to do it without a number of key players, Reo Hatate, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh all miss out through injury.
In goals, Englishman Joe Hart starts.
The central defensive pairing consists of summer signing Gustaf Lagerbielke and Liam Scales. Nat Phillips joined on a short-term loan deal to provide defensive cover to the backline but he misses out of the squad altogether. In the fullback berths, there are no surprises as Greg Taylor and Alistair Johnston start.
Matt O’Riley starts alongside skipper Callum McGregor with the third midfield slot being taken by David Turnbull.
Daizen Maeda starts on the left wing with Liel Abada occupying the right. Kyogo starts through the middle.
🟢 Derby Day Team News ⚪️
Here's how the Bhoys line up for #RANCEL 📋#cinchPrem | #COYBIG🍀 pic.twitter.com/XiqtQZvEvw
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 3, 2023
On the bench: Bain, Palma, Yang, Holm, Kobayashi, Oh, Kwon, Bernabei and Ralston.
Sorry,but for me,wrong team to start with. Will get overrun in midfield and front 3 will get bullied by their Clydesdales at the back probably aided by officials.We’ll see how it goes.
Strange one that phillips never even made the squad. Hopefully daizen runs the blue cafu ragged.
That’s a team set up to lose, is this BR making a point? Will get bullied all over the park and like Turnbull far too slow, I dread the score today.
What are you talking about? Postecogleau could have picked that as a team, were he still here. Give Rogers a break!
I won’t be watcvhing this game because it is a team set up to lose. How a manager of Rodgers’ calibre can leave out a desperately-needed defender of Phillips’ calibre is beyond me. Not a single new player being given a chance to show their worth and slow Turnbull back in midfield, the player Ange wouldn’t play. No, this is a loser today and I couldn’t sit through it. I hate to say it, but Rodgers has destroyed that team. If I didn’t know better, I would say he’s deliberately setting Celtic up for a fall this season. I mean, not playing a seasoned defender like Phillips? Something is definitely rotten in the State of Denmark, if you ask me.
Congratulations to Brendan, hopefully those that have been on his back will now acknowledge that we’re lucky to have a Manager of his calibre. Despite a crippling injury list we’ve gone to Ibrox with zero support and deservedly beaten them. A long way to go in the season but that’s certainly a good start, by the way Callum was magnificent.