Life’s ludicrously lush for the Celtic fans in the Transfer Tavern right now as our punters continue to wax poetic about Brendan Rodgers’ work at Parkhead.
The buoyant Bhoys have looked wonderfully dominant domestically this season and welcome Championship strugglers St Mirren to Celtic Park on Sunday as they prepare to put hopes for a famous treble on the line once more.
Considering the might of the Hoops this term, their visitors walking away with three points – despite a good performance against Hibernian – would perhaps the biggest upset in recent Scottish football history. While Rodgers’ side must respect their opponent, he can afford to be somewhat experimental in his lineup on Sunday lunchtime, affording some lesser-used players some valuable first-team minutes.
So, with that in mind, here’s the experimental XI Celtic should field against the Saints to keep their treble dream alive and progress through to the next round.
GK: Dorus De Vries
While Craig Gordon has been the established No.1 for months now, the little-used Dutchman could surely do with a run out on Sunday.
RB: Mikael Lustig
With Celtic likely to dominate the ball for most of the proceedings, the Swede’s attacking enterprise will be invaluable to help break behind enemy lines.
CB: Jozo Šimunović
Wonderfully solid, the fact the Croatian’s move to Torino collapsed in the summer is looking like a bigger blessing in disguise with every passing game.
CB: Dedryck Boyata
Handed more of a chance of late, the former Manchester City ace will surely be enough to hold off an attack struggling to score in the Championship.
LB: Emilio Izaguirre
Deputised well during Kieran Tierney’s injury layoff and the Honduran is a dependable backup, surely affording the aforementioned Scotsman a welcome rest.
CDM: Eboue Kouassi
The January signing has had a tough time of things so far with injuries and illness, though has recently been involved in the developmental ranks. The Ivorian is a highly-rated talent and could be a force in the engine room.
CM: Liam Henderson
A Scottish Cup hero from his loan stint with boyhood heroes Hibernian last season, the silky 20-year-old can help unlock the Saints’ defence on Sunday.
CM: Stuart Armstrong
Handed a new lease of life under Rodgers, the 24-year-old has impressed in a variety of positions this season and can help add to a wonderfully varied engine room.
RW: James Forrest
His searing pace will be another asset to get through a stubborn backline and the Scotsman is yet another player to look completely revitalised under the stewardship of Rodgers.
ST: Moussa Dembele
Though Leigh Griffiths will likely push the prolific Frenchman all the way for a starting berth, there’s no stopping Moussa Dembele right now. Looking like one of the best free signings in recent history, not just Celtic’s.
LW: Patrick Roberts
While Rodgers, understandably, has decided to spend more time developing his own talents, Roberts is an exceptional talent and the thought of him strutting his stuff against the Saints is a potentially mouth-watering one.
