OPINION
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is expected to recall much-maligned right back Mikael Lustig for his team’s clash with Motherwell on Sunday.
The veteran defender has been consistently overlooked for January signing Jeremy Toljan recently, but after the Borussia Dortmund loanee’s recent struggles, including his sending off against Valencia, Lustig will almost certainly return at Parkhead.
Kristoffer Ajer, Jonny Hayes and Oliver Burke can also expect to be axed to the substitutes bench, with Emilio Izaguirre, Scott Sinclair and Odsonne Edouard coming into the team.
Rodgers will be expecting a reaction from his players after their Europa League exit on Thursday, and will likely return to his natural 4-2-3-1 on Sunday.
Scott Bain has separated himself as the Hoops’ first choice goalkeeper in recent weeks and was excellent again against Valencia on Thursday. He will surely keep his place here.
As mentioned, Toljan is likely out at right back with Lustig back in. Meanwhile at left back, Izaguirre is expected to fill in one more time with Kieran Tierney set for the bench on his return from injury.
Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic are Rodgers’s nominal first choice pairing at centre back and, after the latter’s terrific Thursday display, the pair will surely link up again on Sunday.
Scott Brown and Callum McGregor are the two lone candidates in central midfield at the moment, and as such they will almost definitely start once again.
James Forrest, Ryan Christie and Sinclair have been the standard attacking midfield trio in recent times and after Burke’s lacklustre effort on Thursday they will likely start in support of Edouard on Sunday.