Celtic must turn their attention away from the league phase of the new-look Champions League as they prepare to take on Falkirk in the League Cup this afternoon.
The Hoops have a chance to secure their place in the last four of the competition, which they were knocked out of in August by Kilmarnock last term, by winning this quarter-final clash.
They come into this game against the Championship outfit off the back of a stunning 5-1 win over Slovakian side SK Slovan at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
It was a fantastic evening for the Scottish Premiership champions, who picked up their first win in Europe this year, after they finished bottom of their Champions League group last season.
Brendan Rodgers‘ side swept them aside with relative ease as Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah all got their names on the scoresheet.
This clash with a second tier team in the League Cup, despite it being a quarter-final, now provides the Northern Irish head coach with a chance to rotate his squad.
Two players who may have nailed down their places in the starting XI are James Forrest and Idah, who caught the eye off the bench on Wednesday.
Why Adam Idah and James Forrest should start
The attacking duo were used as substitutes against Slovan but still managed to combine for a goal, as the winger played a fantastic through ball for the Ireland international to slot past the goalkeeper for Celtic’s fifth.
That was Idah’s first goal for the Hoops since his permanent move from Norwich City during the summer transfer window, after spending the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead.
The 6 foot 3 marksman had plundered eight goals in 15 appearances in the Premiership, despite starting just five matches, during his loan spell, whilst also scoring the winner in the SFA Cup final against Rangers.
This shows that the former Canaries academy graduate has the quality to provide a huge goalscoring threat for the Scottish giants, which is why Rodgers should be comfortable handing the 23-year-old ace a start against Falkirk.
Forrest, meanwhile, has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, with four assists in seven appearances in all competitions and three assists in his last four games.
The Scottish forward could come in to replace Daizen Maeda on the flank, whilst Idah could come in for Kyogo Furuhashi in the centre-forward position.
These two changes appear to be obvious ones, after their combination for the fifth goal on Wednesday, but another player Rodgers must unleash from the start is central midfielder Paulo Bernardo.
Why Paulo Bernardo should start
The Portugal U21 international was unfortunate to be dropped from the starting XI this month after his promising displays for the Scottish side in August.
Bernardo re-joined the Hoops from Benfica on a permanent deal during the summer transfer window, after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan, and hit the ground running last month.
The 22-year-old maestro started the wins over St Mirren and Rangers and caught the eye with his all-action performances in the middle of the park.
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