Celtic maintained their unbeaten domestic start to the season intact with a narrow 1-0 win against Hamilton Academical thanks to a Leigh Griffiths strike. The next in the firing line are the struggling Dundee at Parkhead on Saturday as the Hoops continue to chase a historic domestic unbeaten treble.
Dundee have slipped to the 10th spot, winning only one from the last four matches and are just two points better off than bottom placed Partick thistle having played one game more. Celtic, on the other hand, have been absolutely rampant and are 11 points clear at the top of the table having played 2 games fewer than second-placed Rangers.
Team News:
Brendan Rodgers switched to a 3-5-2 formation for the midweek fixture but should be expected to revert back to his preferred 4-2-3-1. Skipper Scott Brown is suspended for this fixture, however, Celtic should be buoyed by the return of winger Scott Sinclair having recovered from a hamstring injury. James Forrest and Kieran Tierney remain sidelined.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Craig Gordon
Celtic’s first-choice shot-stopper, Craig Gordon has often found himself with not much to do and a similar trend could be expected here.
Cristian Gamboa
The Costa Rican right-back struggled for much game time since his switch from West Bromwich Albion in the summer, but has slowly integrated himself into Brendan Rodgers’ plans with his showings in recent outings.
Mikael Lustig
Mikael Lustig started on the right-hand side in a 3-man defence against Hamilton in midweek, but should be expected to start as the right centre-back with the formation switch.
Erik Sviatchenko
The 25-year old Danish defender has been an integral part in Celtic boasting of one of the meanest defences in Europe. Comfortable with his tackling and aerial prowess, Sviatchenko remains comfortable playing out from the back.
Emilio Izaguirre
Kieran Tierney’s unfortunate injury gave a lucky break to Emilio Izaguirre’s return to the Celtic starting line-up and the Honduran hasn’t looked back since. Shouldn’t expect much rest heading into the festive period, he starts.
Callum McGregor
Scott Brown’s suspension presents an opportunity for Callum McGregor to start in his preferred central midfield position. The Hoops youth graduate has found his game time limited this season, but whenever given a chance has been deployed in a variety of positions including left-back.
Stuart Armstrong
The Scottish international has become an invaluable figure under Brendan Rodgers. Armstrong’s intensity and attitude in the middle of the park has complimented well to that of skipper Scott Brown’s calmness in a successful midfield partnership.
Patrick Roberts
The Manchester City loanee has had an up and down season so far, but showed glimpses of his ability and talent against Hamilton. Should be looking to build on the momentum and contribute on the score sheet.
Tom Rogic
Celtic’s star once again on Tuesday night, Tom Rogic has gone from strength to strength this season. Whenever the Hoops seek a spark of creative intelligence, they turn towards the Aussie playmaker as was pretty evident in his beautiful late winner at Motherwell.
Liam Henderson
Celtic will welcome the return of Moussa Dembele from the hamstring strain he picked up against Barcelona weeks back, but a direct start may not be ideal. Scottish under-21 captain Liam Henderson could be given a start on the left.
Moussa Dembele
For someone who has scored twice in two starts, dropping back to the bench seems unfair but it is clear to see whom Brendan’s preferred option up front is. Dembele and Griffiths were handed a rare start together against Hamilton and even combined for the winner, but it could be observed that the partnership remains a work-in-progress yet.