Celtic starting XI vs Ross County: Rodgers forced to take evasive action as 5 changes made after injuries rock camp

Brendan Rodgers has named his Celtic starting XI and substitutes to face Ross County in their latest Scottish Premiership clash at the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall this lunchtime.

The Hoops have headed to the Highlands this weekend boasting a comfortable 15 point cushion at the league summit after responding to their Old Firm slip up at Ibrox earlier this month with convincing back-to-back wins over St Mirren and Dundee United on home soil.

In contrast, County are down in 10th place but they ended a run of four straight defeats between November and December and are now on a four-game unbeaten run, defeating Kilmarnock 1-0 in Ayrshire last weekend to keep up their 100% start to the New Year.

Rodgers makes FIVE changes to his starting line-up from the team that swept past Dundee United in midweek with several key attacking players ruled out through injury. Greg Taylor is replaced by Alex Valle at left-back and Reo Hatate takes over from Luke McCowan in midfield. There’s no place in the matchday squad for mainstay wingers Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda, meaning Kyogo Furuhashi AND Adam Idah both start and Yang Hyun-jun is also named in the line-up.

Wholesale changes have been made to the subs bench as a result, with frontman Johnny Kenny, Adam Montgomery and B-team starlet Daniel Cummings drafted into the squad.

What has midfielder, Luke McCowan said?

“I’m learning off great guys, international players, and for me it’s unbelievable. So I just need to keep doing it. You make each other better, therefore, performances get better on the pitch, so that’s the main thing. And all the guys that I’m playing with or I’m up against at training have been unreal, so I just need to continue that.

“It’s been everything I expected and more (move to Celtic), but I don’t really want to think about it too much. When my career’s over I’ll pat myself on the back and say ‘well done’, but just now it’s about working hard, trying to get in the team and making sure I stay there.

“Because of the amount of games we’ve got, you hope that you’re going to play minutes, whether from the bench or starting. So it’s something I look forward to and I’d rather be playing games than training.”

Here's your confirmed starting line ups ahead of the Scottish Premiership encounter in the Highlands this afternoon...

Ross County starting XI (3-5-1-1):

Jordan Amissah; James Brown, Akil Wright, Connor Randall (C), Ronan Hale, Noah Chilvers, George Harmon, Eli Campbell, Kacper Lopata, Joshua Nisbet, Nohan Kenneh.

SUBS: Jack Hamilton (GK), Ricki Lamie, Scott Allardice, Victor Loturi, Kieran Phillips, Jack Grieves, Charlie Telfer, Jordan White, Josh Reid.

Celtic starting XI (4-1-4-1):

Kasper Schmeichel; Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Alex Valle; Callum McGregor (C), Arne Engels, Reo Hatate; Yang Hyun-jun, Kyogo Furuhashi, Adam Idah.

SUBS: Viljami Sinisalo (GK), Greg Taylor, Liam Scales, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, Paulo Bernardo, Adam Montgomery, Daniel Cummings, Anthony Ralston.