Kasper Schmeichel axed, Wilfried Nancy makes huge Kieran Tierney call: Celtic predicted XI vs Rangers
Wilfried Nancy could be set to raise eyebrows with his team selection for his first Old Firm Derby as Celtic manager.
Saturday’s derby at Parkhead is a truly seismic clash at the top end of the Premiership table, as both sides try and close the gap on leaders Hearts.
Nancy is under immense pressure at Celtic, and fans have quickly made their frustrations known once again after the midweek defeat to Motherwell.
The Frenchman will be under heavy scrutiny again in this weekend’s clash with Rangers, and he faces several big calls in terms of his team selection for the game.
Viljami Sinisalo in to start as Kieran Tierney reverts to centre-back
Kasper Schmeichel’s form has been a major concern for Celtic in recent months, as consistent errors have slipped into the veteran’s game.
Those issues were prevalent again on Tuesday night as a loose ball from the goalkeeper led to Elliot Watt scoring the second goal for Motherwell.
Nancy dropped the Danish stopper in favour of Viljami Sinisalo for the recent victory at Livingston, and he may now be about to reinstate him for the clash with Rangers after Schmeichel’s latest error.
The boss needs a big reaction from his team, and that call could provide the shake-up and the shot in the arm that is needed across the rest of the team.
Elsewhere in the side, Kieran Tierney is likely to revert back to the left side of the back three, which could see Luke McCowan come back into the XI in the left wing-back role.
Daizen Maeda was hooked by Nancy at half-time in midweek, but he is set to lead the line this weekend after getting a crucial rest ahead of the derby.
Arne Engels is likely to come back into the centre of midfield, while Reo Hatate could drop back into his preferred number 10 role.
Celtic to accelerate goalkeeper recruitment drive after latest Schmeichel error
Football Insider exclusively revealed at the start of Dcember that Celtic are trying to identify new goalkeeper targets for the winter window, and Schmeichel’s error against Motherwell provided a timely reminder as to why.
The 39-year-old is continually costing his team points with his mishaps, and that is something that the Bhoys simply cannot afford given the ground that they have already lost at the start of the season.
Sinisalo is still inexperienced, and a new addition in that department feels like a must if they are to genuinely fight their way into the title race.
With that in mind, Celtic should be looking to accelerate their recruitment drive further in the early weeks of the window, in order to try and find a solution to their issue as quickly as possible.