Celtic will have a chance to move up the table as they take on Hibernian FC who are currently second on the table and hold a one-point advantage over the defending champions. The Hoops are set to play some crunch fixtures within the next few days, and a good result against the Hibs would set them off well.
However, Neil Lennon’s men wouldn’t be an easy nut to crack. They have been playing some great free-flowing football, and the Hibs have scored the most number of goals in the league so far. Even though the Hoops are behind on the table, they would go as slight favourites in this game mainly because they are playing at Celtic Park.
Team News
It is not yet clear whether Scott Brown would be fit in time for this encounter. Kristoffer Ajer remains doubtful.
Celtic Predicted Lineup Vs Hibernian
Formation (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Craig Gordon remains the undisputed no.1 and should start in goal for the Hoops. Dedryck Boyata has vowed to stay committed at the club as long as he is there and the gaffer would look for a big performance from him in this crunch game. He is likely to be partnered by Filip Benkovic for the centre-back role who has recovered from Achilles injury. Mikael Lustig has come under fire for his performances of late. He should be looking to get things right to win over the fans. Lustig will start in his usual right-back position. Down the left, Kieran Tierney would start even though he is struggling with a bit of form of late.
Midfield
Olivier Ntcham needs to pick up his performance as he has been guilty of giving the ball away cheaply on some occasions. However, with Brown absent, his place doesn’t look under threat at the moment. Youssouf Mulumbu has turned out to be a shrewd signing for Rodgers, and the experienced midfielder has surpassed expectations as of now. He should get the nod to partner Ntcham.
Callum McGregor should start on the left, and Tom Rogic might start in the no.10 role. We have seen Rodgers using Edouard as no.10 role in the few games, but given Hibs’ quality, the manager might take a slightly conservative approach. On the right, James Forrest is a nailed on starter after he destroyed St.Johnstone by scoring four goals in the first half before the international break.
Attack
Celtic’s big money signing is slowly getting back to his best, and we believe Odsonne Edouard should be preferred over Leigh Griffiths for this encounter.
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