Brendan Rodgers has named his side for this afternoon’s crucial Premiership clash against Hearts – and there are a couple of headline decisions in the Celtic starting XI.
Starting XI:
Sinisalo
Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Schlupp
Substitutes:
Bain, Taylor, Trusty, Idah, Yang, McCowan, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston
The big news is Maik Nawrocki keeps his spot at centre-back after making his first appearance of the season in the Glasgow derby a fortnight ago.
There’s also a first ever SPFL start for Viljami Sinisalo. The Finnish goalkeeper is handed only his second appearance in Celtic colours, stepping in after Kasper Schmeichel picked up an injury while away on international duty.
Callum McGregor returns to the midfield after missing the derby defeat through injury. The skipper’s comeback is a major lift as the Hoops aim to reassert control in the middle of the park.
In attack, Daizen Maeda leads the line with Adam Idah among the substitutes. The Japanese forward’s relentless energy will be key in unsettling the Hearts backline, with Nicolas Kühn and Jota providing support from wide areas.
The fixture carries significant weight. A win today would see Celtic take a huge step towards reclaiming the Premiership title, with the Bhoys currently sitting 13 points clear at the top with just a handful of games remaining.
