Ntcham To Replace Rogic In Attack | Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Motherwell

Celtic’s Scottish head coach Neil Lennon gestures from the sidelines during the UEFA Europa League Group H football match between Celtic and Sparta Prague at Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland on November 5, 2020. – Sparta Prague won the game 4-1. (Photo by RUSSELL CHEYNE / POOL / AFP)

Premiership giants Celtic will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league when they travel to Fir Park to take on Motherwell this Saturday afternoon. The Hoops’ most recent outing ended in a frustrating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Czech side Sparta Prague in the Europa League, in a match where no first-team player put up a particularly memorable performance. The below-average display was made worse by some horrific defending by Shane Duffy, and Neil Lennon will be eager to put things right in the league, especially considering the gap that Rangers have now managed to build atop the table.

Celtic’s most recent Premiership clash was actually two weeks ago when they played out a 3-3 draw against Aberdeen. Yet to win a game in the league since the victory at St.Johnstone at the start of October, a lot is undoubtedly going to be riding on this fixture for Lennon’s side. They currently find themselves in second place on the league table, with Old Firm rivals Rangers leading them by a whopping nine points. On the other hand, Motherwell sit at 7th place on the charts, having notched up just 14 points from their eleven outings in the competition so far.

Team News

The Hoops have been without the services or Kristoffer Ajer for a number of fixtures now, and his absence has clearly had a negative impact on the side. Not only have they looked shaky in defence, but their ability to play the ball out from the back has been restricted as well. James Forrest is another player that remains sidelined, as he is currently dealing with a long-term knock. Apart from that, Celtic have what is pretty much a full-strength team, but it has become apparent over the last number of weeks that there’s something important that’s missing in Neil Lennon’s roster.

Here Is The Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Motherwell:

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 05: Shane Duffy of Celtic reacts after the UEFA Europa League Group H stage match between Celtic and AC Sparta Praha at Celtic Park on November 05, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Predicted 4-2-3-1 Celtic Lineup Vs Motherwell Defence

Despite the signing of Greek goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas in the summer, presumably to take over as first-choice, Scott Bain has been the name on most of Celtic’s lineups over the last few weeks. The former AEK Athens man has quickly fallen out of favour, and that trend is likely to continue into this tie. In front of him, in the absence of Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien, Lennon could be forced into sticking with the same back-line that collapsed in midweek – Shane Duffy and Nir Bitton. Jeremie Frimpong and Diego Laxalt are expected to continue in the full-back roles as well.

Midfield

Having brought in only David Turnbull as an alternate midfield option, Neil Lennon doesn’t have too much of a choice apart from deploying Callum McGregor and Scott Brown in the core of the team. The amount of criticism that the skipper has been receiving since the start of the season has been warranted, as his lethargic approach and sideways passing have shoved fans the wrong way. Moreover, McGregor’s general inconsistency has been an issue as well, as he seems to go missing in the more important matches.

Attack

Odsonne Edouard’s showing in the midweek defeat to Sparta Prague was far from acceptable, but with Albian Ajeti as the only other realistic option, it’s likely that Lennon will stick to his guns on this regard. Tom Rogic has impressed over the last few weeks, but he could be dropped to the bench and be replaced by French ace Olivier Ntcham. Mohamed Elyounoussi and Ryan Christie remain the Hoops’ only proper wide options as well, which means that the duo are likely to retain their places on the flanks for this key Premiership fixture.

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