Reigning Premiership champions will be looking to make it three wins on the trot in the league when they travel to Global Energy Stadium to take on Ross County. The Celts seemed quite comfortable in their last league outing, where they ran out 3-0 winners against Motherwell at Celtic Park. James Forrest, Albian Ajeti and Christopher Jullien were all on the scoresheet that evening, but repeating that feat on the back of a frustratingly timed international break will not be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.
The Hoops currently find themselves in third place on the league table, with six points separating them from leaders Rangers. Although the situation does seem grim on paper, the fact that they have two games in hand due to prior postponements must be taken into consideration. What will come as motivation though, is the fact that Ross County’s last fixture ended in a 1-0 defeat to 10th place Livingston.
Team News
Belgian full-back Boli Bolingoli has now seemingly been dropped from the side entirely after he was found guilty of breaking strict quarantine rules earlier on the campaign. With talk of a possible exit erupting as well, it’s likely that the speedster will play no part in this fixture. Another doubt for this tie would be Odsonne Edouard as the French striker missed the last outing with a slight niggle. The youngster though is expected to return to the starting eleven for this outing.
Here Is The Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Ross County:
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Ross County
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
With Scott Bain remaining as the only alternative option, Neil Lennon is set to continue starting Greek goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas in between the sticks. In front of him, Irish defensive giant Shane Duffy could be given a debut. The monstrous centre-half has joined from Brighton on a season-long loan, and his partnership with Christopher Jullien will be one to watch out for. Jeremie Frimpong and Greg Taylor are likely to continue in their usual roles down either flank for this encounter.
Midfield
Scott Brown’s experience and midfield expertise will be of utmost importance to the away side during this fixture. Breaking teams down has been an issue at times for Neil Lennon’s men, and Brown’s ability to control the tempo of a fixture could have a considerable impact. Alongside the veteran commander, expect to see Callum McGregor continuing in the core of the team. The Scot is responsible for moving the ball around and ensuring that the attackers have good passes to feed off in the final third of the pitch.
Attack
James Forrest got on the scoresheet in the Celts’ last outing and is hence likely to continue on the right flank. Ryan Christie, who started in the win against Motherwell as the lone striker, is set to go back into his usual number ten slot. Odsonne Edouard missed the last fixture with a thigh strain but is expected to lead the line for this clash. Southampton loanee Mohamed Elyounoussi remains the Parkhead club’s most creative source, and his movement and crossing from wide will have a crucial part to play in the proceedings as well.
