Celtic will host Rangers at Celtic Park this Sunday, Sept. 20, for Matchweek 7 of the Scottish Premiership.
Despite Rangers coming off a victory over The Hoops in the latest edition of the derby on Sunday, Sept. 3, in the League Cup quarterfinals, Celtic still have a perfect record in the league, with six wins in the first six matchweeks, and lead the table with 18 points.
That said, they also lost their most recent match, falling 3-1 to Ferencváros in the UEFA Europa League, and the feeling surrounding the team is one of crisis.
Meanwhile, Derek McInnes’ team most recently won 3-0 against The Bhoys. Before that, they had defeated St Mirren 1-0 on Sept. 9 in the Premiership.
This is a key and difficult match for The Hoops, as a defeat would intensify criticism of the coaching and sporting management.
Celtic vs. Rangers: Team News & Predicted Starting Lineups
Head coach Martin O’Neill will not be able to count on Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota due to their injuries. In addition, Yang Hyun-Jun is unavailable as he competes in the Asian Games with South Korea.
As for Rangers, captain Lawrence Shankland remains sidelined with a hamstring problem. Youssef Chermiti is also ruled out due to a ligament problem.
McInnes will most likely call up a team almost identical to the one from the last edition of the Old Firm derby.
Celtic could line up Sinisalo in goal, with Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty and Scales protecting him in defense. McGregor and Baur could play in midfield, while Hassan, Nygren, Duran and Hogh could be the chosen attack.
For Rangers, they could line up Palduren in goal, with Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya and Penrice in defense; Raskin and Neil in midfield; Naderi, Kim and Gassama slightly further ahead; and Kelsey as the center forward.
Celtic predicted starting XI vs. Rangers: Sinisalo; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Nygren, Duran; Hogh.
Rangers predicted starting XI vs. Celtic: Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Naderi, Kim, Gassama; Kelsy.
This match could define O’Neill’s future or the direction Celtic’s season could take from now on, as although they have a perfect record in the league, their last two matches have shown that things aren’t working, and the fans want an immediate response. Let’s see what happens.
Celtic vs. Rangers Lineup Today: Confirmed Team News & Starting XI