Glasgow derbies don’t come bigger than this one. Celtic must win; otherwise, the pressure will only worsen as Wilfried Nancy faces a race against the clock to pick up points.
The Hoops sit three points ahead of Rangers after falling to a 2-0 defeat to Motherwell on Tuesday night.
It was another performance that raised questions over Nancy’s system and the personnel he has at his disposal.
He had secured back-to-back wins before Tuesday’s loss, but performance levels weren’t maintained as the Steelmen coasted to victory at Fir Park.
The Frenchman is under significant pressure to turn form around.
Here are the full details of kick-off time, team news and a predicted lineup.
Kick-off and TV Details
- Date: Saturday, January 3
- Kick-off: 12.30 pm
- Venue: Celtic Park
- TV: Sky Sports
Celtic Team News
New signing Julian Araujo trained at Lennoxtown and could be handed his Hoops debut tomorrow.
Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha remain out due to AFCON, while Kelechi Iheanacho, Callum Osmand, Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, and Marcelo Saracchi remain sidelined with injury.
It’s a concerning sight to have so many key players out.
Celtic Predicted XI (3-4-1-2)
GK: Viljami Sinisalo
RCB: Julian Araujo
CB: Auston Trusty
CB: Liam Scales
RWB: Yang Hyun-Jun
LWB: Kieran Tierney
CM: Callum McGregor
CM: Reo Hatate
CM: Arne Engels
ST: Benjamin Nygren
ST: Daizen Maeda
Final Notes
Quite simply, Celtic must get a positive result on Saturday. The mood at the club is far from positive at the moment. One result won’t change everything, but it would show that this team are up for the fight. And with Hearts still three points clear at the top, that lead mustn’t be stretched as we enter the second half of the season.
Keep Reading
