Celtic are enjoying an exquisite winning run since January. They have already conquered the League Cup crown and are now closing in on Premiership glory with a nine-point cushion over bitter rivals Rangers. The players are now back in the camp post-international break ahead of clashing heads with Ross County at Victoria Park.
The Staggies are struggling at the wrong end of the league standings and the gaffer Malky McKay has a mountain to climb on Sunday lunchtime against the reigning champions. They fought well in the previous meetings earlier in this campaign, however, the Hoops’ sheer brilliance humbled them time and again.
Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Ross County
Defence
Despite a few nervy outings, Joe Hart is having a great time between the sticks since plying his trade to Celtic. The veteran Englishman continues to be the first choice despite having the likes of Conor Hazard, Scott Bain and Benjamin Siegrist in the ranks.
The Bhoys have ample depth as well as quality across the backline. Alistair Johnston must be preferred from the right over Anthony Ralston, also Greg Taylor is expected to keep his place down the left ahead of Alexandro Bernabei. Yuki Kobayashi and Stephen Welsh should continue as the understudy to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt as the central defensive options.
Midfield
Reo Hatate remains sidelined after sustaining an injury against Hibernian. He is likely to miss the Dingwall trip but should recover in time for the upcoming Old Firm derby. Matt O’Riley could get the nod in the middle of the park alongside Aaron Mooy, meanwhile, the ‘number 6’ spot is reserved for the ‘captain fantastic’ Callum McGregor who drives the show from the deep with his vision and creative spark. Tomoki Iwata and David Turnbull might get introduced at some stage as second-half substitutes.
Attack
Daizen Maeda has returned to full training following a brief injury layoff during the break. He should showcase his work rate and prowess from the left-hand flank, also the flair and finesse of Filipe Jota could be menacing for the Staggies’ defence. Moreover, the sharpness and poaching traits of Kyogo Furuhashi make him the obvious choice for the ‘number 9’ spot. Liel Abada and Sead Haksabanovic are quality alternatives down the wide, and the late heroics against Hibs should earn Oh Hyeon-gyu another cameo appearance high up the pitch.
