Despite suffering a rare league defeat against Hibernian, Celtic have one hand on the Premiership silverware thanks to a staggering 13-point lead over bitter rivals Rangers at the top of the standings.
They will host Aberdeen on Tuesday night – their fourth meeting this season in all competitions
The Dons held Celtic to a 2-2 draw when they locked horns at Parkhead early into the season.
They were going toe-to-toe with the Hoops back then; however, a shocking 6-0 setback in the League Cup semifinal two weeks later, followed by a 1-0 league defeat at Pittodrie, exposed their limitation and frailty all over the pitch.
Aberdeen won back-to-back league outings after a winless streak of 14 games, but their little winning run could come to a head this midweek unless they defy the odds and script a massive upset.
Kasper Schmeichel has rarely conceded at Celtic Park. The veteran Dane would aim for another clean sheet after a couple of difficult outings at Allianz Arena and Easter Road.
Greg Taylor was dreadful against Hibs, and the gaffer Brendan Rodgers took him on the break for Jeffrey Schlupp.
The veteran Crystal Palace loanee is expected to get the nod down the left, however, the right fullback role belongs to Alistair Johnston despite being rotated with Anthony Ralston.
Liam Scales has lost his starting spot to Auston Trusty as the USMNT centre-back should keep his place alongside fellow countryman Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of the backline.
Paulo Bernardo is still nursing an injury sustained against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup earlier this month.
However, the Hoops have Luke McCowan, who has been rotated with Arne Engels and Reo Hatate to deal with fatigue and fitness issues. Meanwhile, their elimination from Europe has reduced the number of games, and the manager, therefore, should opt for his preferred ‘number 8s’ Hatate and Engles on Tuesday.
The presence of skipper Callum McGregor deep down the midfield allows the pair to make down-the-middle runs and operate in the advanced areas.
Adam Idah was also taken off at half-time along with Taylor and McCowan, and the stellar scoring form of Daizen Maeda makes him a better fit for the ‘number 9’ spot.
The return of Jota has bolstered the Celts down the flanks, and the Portuguese wideman could be deployed from the left, with Nicolas Kuhn likely to feature from the other wing.
It is with high hopes that Celtic can return to winning ways again following a game filled with mixers reactions at the weekend.
