Celtic have bounced back from a dreadful defeat against Bayer Leverkusen and registered three successive wins since then. The latest one has been a commanding 2-0 Europa League victory versus Ferencvarosi and the galvanized Hoops, therefore, must be upbeat ahead of hosting St. Johnstone on Saturday afternoon.
The Saints, on the other hand, conquered the Cup double last season under Callum Davidson. Although they are undergoing an inconsistent league run so far this term, their composed defending and swift counter-attacking football might trouble the hosts at Celtic Park. Having said that, the Bhoys are outright favourites to claim yet another win given their current run of form.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup To Face St. Johnstone
Defence
Joe Hart had his minutes limited in recent years. But the move to Parkhead has worked out spectacularly as he is now the Hoops’ ‘number 1’ ahead of Scott Bain and Vasilis Barkas. A majestic midweek show depicted his significance between the sticks across competitions.
Josip Juranovic is closing in on regaining full fitness recovering from a hamstring strain and might make it to the matchday squad for the weekend game. Anthony Ralston should keep hold of the right-back role until the Croatian is fit enough to reclaim the starting status. Christopher Jullien is back in team training after a long injury layoff but must wait for a while before being reintegrated into the first-team setup.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt are improving as the central defensive pairing and the gaffer is expected to rely on them once more in the heart of the backline. However, there might be a selection dilemma for the left-back spot in the absence of Greg Taylor. Adam Montgomery, Boli Bolingoli as well as Liam Scales are there to feature from the wide and the manager should start deploying the latter who had an impressive cameo on Tuesday evening.
Midfield
Callum McGregor has been exquisite in the middle of the park and is likely to form a double pivot alongside David Turnbull to offer defensive cover and script swift attacking transitions. This would allow Tom Rogic to operate as a ‘number 10’, also a formation tweak (4-3-3) might take place thanks to their flexibility in the centre of the pitch. Liel Abada has been struggling a bit since returning from the international break but the 20-year-old Israel international holds all the traits to make a difference from the right-hand flank. Filipe Jota is exhilarating with his flashy skills and swift footwork and his presence down the left would be menacing for the Saints defensive third.
Attack
Celtic have not missed Odsonne Edouard much following his high-profile egress. Kyogo Furuhashi is winning hearts with his sheer commitment, dedication and incredible scoring streak while spearheading the attack. Giorgos Giakoumakis and Albian Ajeti must continue as the understudy to the Japanese ace for the time being.
