Celtic play FK Sarajevo in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie on Wednesday night.
Celtic return to competitive action at Celtic Park on Wednesday night, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see manager Neil Lennon give new signings Boli Bolingoli and Christopher Jullien their home competitive debuts.
After picking up a 3-1 victory in the first leg away from home last week, the Hoops are in a very strong position in the tie and a professional performance should see them through to the next round to face Estonian champions Nomme Kalju.
There are a number of injury concerns for Lennon to consider with the BBC reporting that Mikey Johnston will miss the encounter alongside Tom Rogic, Kieran Tierney, Marian Shved and Vakoun Bayo. With Olivier Ntcham only just returning to first-team training, it’s unlikely he’ll play either.
A lack of right-backs means the experiment of playing Kristoffer Ajer on the defensive right flank will likely continue. The Norwegian international told media in a press conference this week that he was happy to play wherever the manager deems necessary.
While Nir Bitton moved into the centre of defence last week in Bosnia, it’s time for Jullien to make his competitive Celtic Park bow, having featured in a friendly against Rennes at the weekend, getting an hour of football under his belt.
The most viable defensive partner available for Jullien is Jozo Simunovic.
Bolingoli had to be substituted off last week after rolling his ankle but it’s been reported by the BBC he has recovered to be eligible for selection and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do in front of an expectant home support.
A mostly familiar midfield is likely with Scott Brown, Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie the best men for the job centrally and James Forrest more than capable of causing problems at right wing.
The injury to Johnston means Lewis Morgan could make just his second competitive start for the Hoops, something we argued for earlier this week.
The winger came off the bench last week and created an assist, can he now push on and convince his manager he is worthy of more opportunities?
In attack Frenchman Odsonne Edouard remains the outstanding choice, having netted his first goal of the season superbly last week against Sarajevo.
Your predicted Celtic lineup in full is:
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