Back To The Start: A Celtic-Partick Thistle Preview

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP: CELTIC V PARTICK THISTLE; WEDNESDAY 20TH DECEMBER 7:45PM

Celtic get back on the horse after Sunday’s disaster at Tynecastle as we take on Partick Thistle in our long delayed game in hand.

Time Selection: I would hope that Brendan Rodgers makes a load of changes from the team which flopped against Hearts...but he probably won’t.

However, the likes of Jozo Simunovic, Dedryck Boyata and Craig Gordon could all be dropped, and Kieran Tierney might be out with an injury.

Further up the back, Callum McGregor, Scott Sinclair and Leigh Griffiths seem prime candidates to be dropped.

So who would come in to the side: Dorus de Vries, Nir Bitton and Kristoffer Ajer seem likely candidates, it might be a new central-defensive partnership but that’s what needs to be done.

Jonny Hayes could well be involved and Moussa Dembele has to start.

Previous Meetings: Celtic won a very dull match 1-0 at Firhill back in August, Olivier Ntcham’s fine goal the only moment of class in the game.

Prediction: An odd thing to type, but a midweek match against the team that’s bottom of the league is one of the biggest games of the season.

Brendan Rodgers will want to see evidence that the team can bounce-back from a rare bit of adversity, and getting a win is vital to stretch the lead at the top of the table to five points over Aberdeen, before the teams meet at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Celtic should have enough in the tank to get over the loss on Sunday to defeat the Jags by a few goals.

Celtic 4 Partick Thistle 1