The Celtic front line debate isn’t going away, and questions over who should start have only grown after the win over St Mirren.

Kelechi Iheanacho changed the game at Hampden. Two goals in extra time, both taken well, have pushed him right into the frame. Before that, he looked like a bench option. Now there is a real case for him to start.

Daizen Maeda still feels like the one certainty. His role doesn’t change. He presses, runs in behind, and keeps defenders busy even when he isn’t scoring. That keeps him in the team most weeks, no matter who plays around him.

Out wide, it is less clear. Yang Hyun-jun brings pace and direct running, while James Forrest is used more from the bench. Forrest’s impact at Hampden showed he can still change games, but it also showed how he is being used now.

The debate has shifted from just picking names to how the attack should function.

Ross McCormack said: (Open Goal), “But Iheanacho makes a big difference.

“See, when you talk about Lenny wanting him to play a wee bit longer, whatever it may be, he’s the only guy, because he can fire it in.”

Andy Halliday responded: “Aye, I’m still playing Maeda, aye.

“Aye, I think I’d go Maeda, Yang, and I wouldn’t play Forrest, to be honest.

“Because I do think, like, you’re talking about impact players, I think James Forrest has been that for, what, three seasons?

“So I think just… How many games has James Forrest started this year? There must be five, something like that.”

With Paul Slane concluding: “And off the ball Maeda brings so much, doesn’t he?

“You wouldn’t want to take him out of the team, with what he gives you doing that (pressing).”

That balance between impact and consistency is where the decision sits. Iheanacho gives a penalty box threat Celtic have missed at times. If he starts, the team has a focal point but may lose some movement through the middle.

Keeping Maeda central keeps the press and shape intact. It also lets others play off him, but it means chances need to fall differently.

Forrest’s role looks set. He comes on when the game opens up. Fresh legs, direct running, and quick decisions in the final third.

With five league games left, calls like this will decide tight matches. The front three is no longer fixed.