Celtic player could get surprise start against the Rangers

It is safe to say that Celtic are the team with momentum on their side heading into the upcoming Glasgow Derby against the Rangers, set to be played at Parkhead on February 2. In their most recent matches, the Hoops scored in the 90th minute to pick up a 1-0 win over Dundee United. On the other hand, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side ended up conceding in the sixth minute of stoppage time to drop two points against Ross County as the game finished in a 3-3 draw.

The result means that the points gap between the two sides stands at just two points right now and if Celtic are able to get a win on Wednesday against their Glasgow rivals, then they will return to the top of the Premiership table after a long, long time.

Thus, Celtic must be very confident going into the game. While the Rangers might have beaten them 1-0 earlier on in the season, it is safe to say that the Hoops look like a much more balanced, solid and motivated side right now.

They have their fair share of worries as well though, with the biggest being the availability of players. Key stars like Kyogo, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda, Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton, David Turnbull, Yosuke Ideguchi and a few others are expected to be missing for the Glasgow Derby.

Celtic player could get surprise start vs the Rangers

The area that appears to have been most affected by the unavailable of key players is Celtic’s midfield.

McGregor, Ideguchi and Turnbull are on the sidelines due to injuries. Rogic is away on international duty. And Bitton will miss out after picking up a red card in the previous game, against Dundee United.

Thus, options are very limited for Ange Postecoglou. And as a result, it looks like he could have to rely on James McCarthy to get the job done against the Rangers.

McCarthy has barely featured since joining Celtic in the summer. But he still appears to be ahead of Ismaila Soro in the midfield pecking order and could possibly get the nod from the start on Wednesday.

This article was originally posted here

Start a Conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *