Celtic face Heart of Midlothian this weekend in the second round of their five post-split fixtures during the Scottish Premiership run-in.
As things stand, the Bhoys hold a three-point lead over Rangers with just four league matches left to play, courtesy of a James Forrest double on Tayside last Sunday away to a stubborn Dundee outfit.
Despite excitement hitting fever pitch ahead of our battle with the Jambos, some Celtic fans may also feel a slight bit of trepidation due to title race nerves and the fact Hearts have actually beaten us twice in three attempts this term.
Nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers will be under no illusion of the task ahead this weekend, though he couldn’t hide his excitement at the prospect of facing Steven Naismith’s outfit in front of a 60,000-strong home crowd.
Speaking in his post-match press conference after Dundee, he explained: “I am really excited about next week against Hearts at Celtic Park. 60,000, the atmosphere will be amazing, the pitch will be amazing and hopefully, we can play a level of football and get another really good result.”
With that in mind, 67 Hail Hail take a look at three changes the man in the Celtic dugout could make before facing Hearts.
Tomoki Iwata could deputise for Callum McGregor in midfield
Should club captain Callum McGregor be 100% fit, every Celtic fan, including myself, would want him to lead the side out against Hearts; however, it is worth keeping Tomoki Iwata in mind on the off-chance the Scotland international is still feeling the effects of his recent injury.
McGregor hasn’t completed a single 90 minutes since returning for the 3-3 draw against Rangers at Ibrox and didn’t look to be at full tilt on a dry surface in Dundee last week [Transfermarkt].
In the 62nd minute at Dens Park, Iwata came on for his skipper and helped to shore up the Celtic midfield, completing 21 of his 22 attempted passes (95%, three entering the final third).
The Japan international also won 100% of his tackles, made two ball recoveries and two defensive actions; meanwhile, he also recorded ground duel.
Celtic can’t afford to enter the campaign’s final stretch with key men not firing on all cylinders due to fitness issues, which is why McGregor is included despite his obvious star quality.
Daizen Maeda’s prospective return to action for Celtic
Miraculously, Daizen Maeda looks to be on the road to recovery following a hamstring injury that was expected to keep the 26-year-old out for the rest of the season.
Regardless, he may well be back in contention for this weekend after Rodgers confirmed he would be on the grass at Lennoxtown this week, fitting well with the theme that the former Yokohama F. Marinos man likes to do everything in double-quick time!
On a serious note, Celtic lose an edge when Maeda isn’t available, and his relentless work rate helps to set the tone by providing an efficient first line of defence.
This campaign, his exploits in front of goal haven’t been bad either, as he has notched nine goals and three assists in 32 outings in all competitions this term, per Transfermarkt.
Forrest’s brace last Sunday could well earn the 32-year-old another opportunity to provide his wisdom, and he may well accompany Maeda if the latter is definitely available to face Hearts.
Adam Idah’s physicality offers dilemma for Brendan Rodgers
Celtic have two more than capable strikers on the books right now who are gaining regular minutes in Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah; however, there is a case that the latter’s physicality could be useful against one of the Scottish Premiership’s more physical outfits.
Against a tightly packed backline, the Republic of Ireland international also offers a palpable threat from cross-ball situations, evidenced by the fact that he has won 64.7% of his aerial duels on league duty [Fotmob].
Stylistically, Furuhashi and Idah both offer completely different qualities that can benefit Celtic from an offensive standpoint.
Granted, Idah did go through an unfortunate mishap away to Dundee by slicing an Antonio Portales volley past Joe Hart, though his expertise is best utilised up the other end.
Suspicions tell me Furuhashi will get the nod from the start, but Idah’s inclusion is merely to highlight than an alternative route to goal is available for the Bhoys should they need it.
