Nobody – and we mean nobody – saw this Celtic starting XI coming. Brendan Rodgers has ripped up expectations and named a radically altered side to face Livingston at Celtic Park, resting the majority of his first-choice players with one eye firmly on Tuesday’s make-or-break Champions League playoff in Kazakhstan.
Eight changes tell their own story. Callum McGregor, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Kieran Tierney are all among the substitutes, with Rodgers opting for fresh legs and fringe players to shoulder the Premiership burden this afternoon. It’s a gamble that underlines where the manager’s priorities lie this week.
The real shock, however, is the inclusion of Yuki Inamura. Only three days ago we spoke to Rodgers about the Japanese defender, with the manager making it crystal clear that Inamura wasn’t ready for first-team football and would most likely head out on loan. Fast forward to today, and the 21-year-old finds himself thrust into the starting XI, asked to do a job in front of a packed Parkhead crowd. Football moves fast, but this development borders on whiplash.
Rodgers has paired Liam Scales with Murray at the heart of defence, with Scales wearing the armband. Kasper Schmeichel retains his place in goal, while Anthony Ralston steps in on the right. Midfield sees Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan given responsibility to set the tempo, while Benjamin Nygren and Hyunjun Yang flank Shin Yamada up top.
The message is clear: this XI is built to get the job done against Livingston while protecting Celtic’s biggest assets for Tuesday night. The Kazakh trip is season-defining. Rodgers knows he needs his senior men fresh and firing, even if it means risking league points in August.
The danger, of course, is complacency. Livingston will come organised and physical, and this Celtic side has a makeshift look that could be punished if standards dip. But Rodgers is gambling that home advantage and attacking depth will carry them through.
