Premiership giants Celtic will be looking to build on their midweek Europa League victory when they take on Kilmarnock in the Premiership this Sunday. The Hoops’ European form has been nothing short of dismal over the last many weeks, and the win against Lille on Thursday would definitely have come as a massive boost to their ambitions for the remainder of the season. Although Neil Lennon’s men had already been knocked out of the competition prior to the match against Lille, there were various positives that Lennon could’ve drawn from that fixture.
Celtic’s league position isn’t a very comfortable one at all, as they currently find themselves a whopping 13 points off Rangers atop the league table. Whether or not they’re able to catch up to Steven Gerrard’s rampant side remains to be seen, especially considering that the Gers are yet to face defeat even once across all competitions this season. Another major worry for Celtic going into this fixture will be their defensive record. While Rangers have conceded just three goals so far this season, Celtic’s defensive numbers read 14 goals conceded from 14 matches.
Team News
Neil Lennon fielded a completely youth-oriented team in the midweek fixture against the Ligue 1 side, which means that he could be tempted to stick to his guns for the weekend clash as well. James Forrest remains their most important absentee as of this point, with the likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Odsonne Edouard both available for selection. The other player that could be missing from this Celtic squad is Jeremie Frimpong, as the young speedster had to be withdrawn prematurely by the manager in the win against Lille.
Predicted 3-5-2 Celtic Lineup Vs Kilmarnock
Defence
Although Conor Hazard was given a start in the Europa League in midweek, it’s unlikely that the youngster will be given another start in the Premiership on the weekend. What this means is that Neil Lennon is expected to bring summer signing Vasilis Barkas back into the eleven. In front of the keeper, expect to see the return of Nir Bitton into the roster, taking the place of Irish defender Shane Duffy in the back-line. The other two defenders, Christopher Jullien and Kristoffer Ajer, are set to retain their positions in the team as well.
Midfield
Celtic’s choice to field a five-man midfield line in midweek worked a charm, which means that at least formation wise, Lennon is expected to do the same. Ismaila Soro and David Turnbull should both start this fixture in the same positions they started in midweek, which essentially means that skipper Scott Brown is likely to miss out on the first-team for this clash. Callum McGregor is the player who is expected to start alongside the star-duo from midweek, with Lennon likely to deploy two wing-backs as well. With Frimpong out with injury, Hatem Abd Elhamed should replace him in the team, while Diego Laxalt is set to continue on the other side.
Attack
Polish striker Patryk Klimala was given a rare start by Neil Lennon in midweek, but considering that this match against Kilmarnock is surely going to be more important, it’s unlikely that he’ll risk the youngster once again. Odsonne Edouard is the player that could come into the eleven in Klimala’s stead, thereby adding a more impactful presence in the final third. Mohamed Elyounoussi, over the last many weeks, has undoubtedly been their most important player, which means that his place in the team was never really under question either.
