Predicting Celtic Starting XI for Rangers clash

After four years of climbing up the Scottish football ladder, Celtic see a new Glasgow rival come on board in the SPFL opener against fellow Glaswegian club Rangers.

Following the international break and the transfer deadline deals (that weren’t made by Celtic) things are bound to look a bit different at Celtic Park this weekend.

Celtic enter this Glasgow derby match on top of the SPFL table, sitting on nine points and just one point ahead of that other team in Glasgow. This clash is a hugely important one for a Celtic club looking to keep its perfect record in SPFL play.

What will Celtic look like when it takes the pitch at Paradise on Saturday? Let’s take a look at our expected starting XI for Brendan Rodgers’ side. First things first, I fully expect the club to come out in a 4-4-2 formation given the gravity of the game and the players available.

Craig Gordon

1, Scotland

Celtic’s Defenders:

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 07: Tony Watt of Hearts goes past Kolo Toure of Celtic during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Celtic on August 7, 2016 in Glasgow, Edinburgh. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

Mikael Lustig

23, Sweden

While it may be tempting to see new signing Cristian Gamboa on the field for Celtic, the matter of the fact is he hasn’t been around for training much at all. That means in a 4-4-2 formation we’ll see the veteran Lustig get the start on the right side of defense.D

Kolo Toure

2, Ivory Coast

Toure appears to have a regular role in the middle of Celtic’s defense and I don’t see that changing here. He was brought in to the fold to provide stability and experience at the back, and it will be needed most in a match atmosphere such as this one.D

Eric Sviatchenko

28, Denmark

If the Bhoys are going to a 4-4-2 scheme this weekend, then you can bet you’ll see Sviatchenko on the pitch. He works well alongside Toure and adds the versatility to link up with the midfield when needed as well. His pace and work with the ball at his feet make him an excellent pairing with Toure in this formation.D

Kieran Tierney

63, Scotland

Celtic’s Midfield:

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 17: Scott Brown of Celtic celebrates his goal( Celtic’s 5th) with Leigh Griffiths during the UEFA Champions League, Qualifying Play-Off 1st Leg between Celtic and Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Celtic Park on August 17, 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

Patrick Roberts

27, England

Roberts’ return from a hamstring injury in UCL play couldn’t come at a better time. There is little question that the 19-year-old adds a dynamic force on the right side of midfield that simply doesn’t exist without him in the lineup. He also is adept at creating for himself, and with the news of Griffiths not training on Thursday, Roberts is our best goal-scoring option.CM

Scott Brown

8, Scotland

Like Toure, the veteran midfielder has begun to find his form after a few shaky starts to his 2016-17 campaign. As the captain of the squad, there’s no way Brown isn’t in the lineup. He’s always the emotional heart of the squad, but in this matchup he also has to keep his head. Look for Brown to do the dirty work needed for his team…per usual.CM

Nir Bitton

6, Israel

Celtic have a nice center-midfield pairing going in Bitton and Brown, one that has worked for some time now. Why change that up ahead of the most volatile match of the season?LM

James Forrest

49, Scotland

Celtic’s Forwards:

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 3: Moussa Dembele celebrates his goal during the UEFA Champions League, Third Round, Second Leg between Celtic and Astana at Celtic Park on August 3, 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

Scott Sinclair

11, England

It isn’t good news when your star striker isn’t at training two days before the New Firm match. That said, Sinclair can be a very dangerous piece to the puzzle and one that won’t miss this lineup. He has a history playing up top and given Celtic’s options outside of Dembele, look for Rodgers to move him up top to play behind Dembele and link to the midfield.F

Moussa Dembele

10, France

There’s no way that Dembele isn’t getting the start with or without Griffiths being healthy. This game sets up well for him and he has really started to round in to form as of late. Ever since netting his first goal for the Hoops, Dembele has been on fire. He’ll need to continue current form if Celtic want to win this match.