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Celtic will face Rangers for the second time in a week on Sunday.
And as Martin O’Neill faces several decisions regarding his starting XI, it’s his substitutes who have been crucial in the Hoops’ last few outings.
Last weekend at Ibrox, Celtic were 2-0 down at half-time. It was only when Reo Hatate and Sebastian Tounekti were introduced that the momentum started to shift.
So what has O’Neill learned about his team? We predicted the Hoops’ starting XI…
I think the score at Ibrox this weekend will be —-
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Credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Martin O’Neill’s Celtic picks vs Rangers
O’Neill probably faces his biggest calls in the goalkeeping position, with Kasper Schmeichel having returned to training.
In Schmeichel’s absence, Viljami Sinisalo has been brought into the side, earning positive verdicts after a crucial save in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Aberdeen.
READ MORE: Callum McGregor says Celtic improvement in ‘every field’ will keep fans happy
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Sinisalo is expected to stay in the team regardless of Schmeichel’s condition, with the pair’s form trending in opposite directions.
Auston Trusty is also available after suspension, with both Benjamin Arthur and Dane Murray deputising well for the USA international.
Trusty has been backed to start, with O’Neill’s record of starting him in almost every game speaking volumes. He will take the right-centre-back spot alongside Liam Scales.
The Celtic boss will have no hesitation in bringing Marcelo Saracchi into the XI given doubts over Kieran Tierney’s fitness, with the player’s agent confirming talks over a permanent move to Glasgow this week.
In attack, O’Neill’s decisions are just as difficult. Tomas Cvancara has been backed to start, after not getting a kick in last weekend’s clash.
Tounekti has also been tipped for a start after playing a rare full 90 minutes on Wednesday, with Daizen Maeda taking the place of Yang Hyun-Jun on the right.
Lastly, there is one final prediction in midfield… despite Reo Hatate’s impressive cameo last weekend, Luke McCowan offers Celtic a steadier, more reliable option.
Do you agree with Martin’s predicted XI for Ibrox?
Martin’s predicted derby XI
Martin O’Neill on Celtic squad availability vs Rangers
Speaking ahead of the game, O’Neill confirmed the injury status of Tierney and Schmeichel, saying: “Kieran, for a start, though the injury to his foot is clearing up, he’s just generally sore in every aspect.
“We’ll see how he is tomorrow, but generally speaking, he’s done fabulous for us, and now he’s getting back to almost-complete fitness, which is great.
“And we’ll see – Kasper trained today, for the first time since since the injection, since he’s better. So we’ll see how he is tomorrow as well.
“The young goalkeeper (Sinisalo) has done really fine for us as well, too. So who is there… a couple of other bumps and bruises, but we’re trying to get through it.”
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