Celtic will face Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren side in the third matchday of the Scottish Premiership. Here is our Celtic predicted lineup for how Brendan Rodgers’ men will line up for the Sunday lunchtime clash.
Celtic Predicted Lineup vs St Mirren
How Celtic Have Lined Up Recently
So far Celtic’s eleven has remained relatively unchanged. This is little surprise considering how strong the start to the season has been for the champions. In the opening two league games they won 4-0 and 2-0 against Kilmarnock and Hibernian, meanwhile last week in the Scottish Cup they progressed to the quarter-finals with a repeat victory over the Hibees. Nine goals were scored and just one conceded, it’s been as comfortable as it gets.
Read More: Serie A Side Target ‘Really Consistent’ Player From Last Season At Arsenal
With just one game per week, there has been little strain on the squad, so it has made sense for the hoops to keep a consistent eleven. In the coming months, with a more hectic schedule there will inevitably be rotation, at this stage of the season though it’s about creating a rhythm and consistency. The only forced changes through injury were Kyogo missing last week’s game against Hibs, plus Daizen Maeda unavailable to start the first two fixtures.
Celtic Recent Form and Tactics
As mentioned, it’s been a perfect start to the season. The 4-3-3 formation we have been accustomed to seeing in the East End of Glasgow has been used every match to this date. However, the imminent departure of Matt O’Riley will have an undeniable impact. The Dane linked so well with Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate plus provided late striker-like runs into the box.
Without him in the side, Celtic will need to form new patterns of attack. Paulo Bernardo, Odin Thiago Holm and Tomoki Iwata are the three other first-team options in the midfield for the hoops. Although, the latter is more of a number six. It’s likely Celtic will turn to the transfer market to fill the major void rather than look from within.
Read More: Romelu Lukaku Poised For Italy Return Under Antonio Conte’s Guidance: A New Chapter Awaits
Brendan Rodgers seems to see Paulo Bernardo as more of a backup option for Reo Hatate, rather than a replacement for Matt O’Riley, as his recent substitution patterns have shown. It makes sense, the under-21 Portugal captain is more defensive by nature. Sure, he will score goals but he prefers picking the ball up from deep and driving forward rather than playing as an advanced midfielder. On the European stage, he will have a massive role to play though. For this weekend, he will take O’Riley’s place as the most advanced of the midfield three.
Injuries to Consider
Mikey Johnstone is the only player unavailable as Brendan Rodgers confirmed at his press conference. Kyogo did miss last week, however, he has been training and will be involved in the matchday squad. Whether he starts or not is another thing.
Celtic Predicted Lineup
Kasper Schmeichel
Alistair Johnson
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Liam Scales
Greg Taylor
Callum McGregor
Reo Hatate
Paulo Bernardo
Nicolas Kuhn
Adam Idah
Daizen Maeda
