Celtic aim to sidestep a monumental upset in the Scottish Cup when they take on sixth-tier side Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park this Sunday.
The West of Scotland League outfit, currently second in their table, have shone brightly in the tournament so far but confront a massive test against the 42-time Cup winners from the top flight.
Celtic team news
Several vital Celtic players remain on the treatment table. Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, and Cameron Carter-Vickers are still out, as is Jota, sidelined for the campaign by a cruciate ligament tear. O’Neill stated that Jota stands “unlikely to be available for the rest of this season” after a recent recovery hitch.
That said, the boss is expected to shuffle his pack extensively before Thursday’s key Europa League clash with Bologna on January 22.
Expect opportunities for fringe options like Colby Donovan, Dane Murray, and Viljami Sinisalo in what looks like a winnable tie. Swedish attacker Benjamin Nygren, fresh off netting the decider in Celtic’s narrow 1-0 success over Falkirk last time out, might get minutes.
On the switch to a neutral ground, O’Neill struck a balanced note: “If I wasn’t manager of Celtic, I’d be really disappointed. Now, as I am manager of Celtic, then I’m probably quite pleased. Do you know what? It might (help us)”.
Celtic predicted lineup
Possible Celtic starting XI:Â Sinisalo; Donovan, Murray, Scales, Tierney; Hatate, McGregor, Bernardo; Hyun-Jun, Kenny, Tounekti.
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 5:30pm BST on Sunday, 18th January.
How to watch Auchinleck Talbot vs Celtic?
Viewers can catch the action on Premier Sports 1 (now Viaplay Sports in the UK) or stream it through the Premier Sports app.
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