Brendan Rodgers has made two changes to the Celtic side that won at Aberdeen last week for today’s Viaplay Cup tie at Kilmarnock.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and David Turnbull drop out with Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm coming in to start their first matches as Celtic players.
Injuries to Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh has forced Rodgers to go with Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki in central defence with Liam Scales named as a substitute, his first competitive involvement with Celtic for 18 months.
There are only five survivors from the Celtic side that started the Viaplay Cup Final in February, in attack Liel Abada for Jota is the only change with the emphasis very much still on pace.
It took a very late goal from Scott Brown to deliver a win on Brendan Rodgers’ last visit to Kilmarnock, last season Ange Postecoglou had the measure of Derek McInnes’ side and the artificial surface with Celtic winning 5-0 and 4-1.
Kilmarnock topped their League Cup group and have taken four points from their first two SPFL matches with a goal difference of 1-0.
Alan Muir will referee today’s match with Don Robertson on VAR, in 2015 Muir was the Additional Assistant Referee in Celtic’s Scottish Cup Semi-Final defeat to Inverness Caley Thistle.
Obviously a win is the target today but avoiding further injury will be important for Rodgers with the Champions League opener one month away.
The quarter-final draw will be made soon after today’s match is finished.
CELTIC: Hart; Ralston, Lagerbielke, Nawrocki, Taylor; McGregor, Holm, O’Riley; Abada, Kyogo, Maeda
SUBS: Bain, Scales, Haksabanovic, Yang, Turnbull, Kwon, Iwata, Benabei, Forrest
Your Killie starting XI against @CelticFC:
©️ Lyons captains
🧤 Dennis in goal
👊 Kennedy on the wingBrought to you by Pellegrini & Barlow. pic.twitter.com/GZXxNRdCy3
— Kilmarnock FC (@KilmarnockFC) August 20, 2023
