Former Celtic star and current BT Sport pundit John Hartson has revealed that there are a number of things which have left him fearing over a potential shock result when it comes to their clash against Livingston on Sunday.
The Hoops travel to their Premiership rivals in their last clash before the two week international break having won their last five league games, and came out victorious against RB Leipzig in their Europa League clash at Parkhead in midweek.
However Hartson has revealed his worries over not only the players that Celtic will face on Sunday but the pitch, with Livingston having an artificial surface which the pundit predicts will play a part.
He told the Scottish Sun: “Their strength is the three centre-halves. Gallagher, Lithgow and Halkett are monsters — they keep the ball out at one end and attack it at the other. They run that dressing-room and everyone listens to them.
“They’ve already beaten Rangers at home, and they’ll go in against Celtic with nothing to lose.
“They’ve proved they can take on the big boys already this season and they’ll fancy it. Livingston get the right footwear (on the plastic pitch), get to judge the bounce of the ball. All these things can give you an advantage.”
Opinion
As Hartson states the plastic pitch appears to be able to make a difference when top sides visit and Livingston will be hoping to use that to their advantage on Sunday. Having a powerful trio at the back, they are likely to try and bully the Hoops when defending and the likes of Odsonne Edouard, James Forrest and Callum McGregor need to show strength both physically and mentally to make sure that they carry out their duties as expected. Manager Brendan Rodgers will be wary about the impact that the plastic pitch can have, with increased risk of injuries always a fear, so he might want to rotate his side following their midweek exploits against German side Leipzig. There is plenty for the boss to consider and he will be hoping that whatever he chooses to do results in success. Otherwise, he could well find his side chased down by the likes of Rangers in the hunt for top spot.