Predicted Celtic XI vs St Mirren: 1 enforced change + two in attack for Hampden rematch, last week's goal scorer dropped
Here’s how we think Martin O’Neill will set up his Celtic starting XI against St Mirren on Sunday
Celtic head back to Hampden Park on Sunday for a Scottish Cup semi-final showdown against St Mirren as they aim to keep their hopes of a domestic double alive during a turbulent campaign.
The Hoops have struggled on recent visits to the national stadium; losing last season’s Scottish Cup final to Aberdeen on penalties before crashing to a 3-1 loss to the Buddies in the Premier Sports Cup final back in December.
Just a week on from recording a narrow 1-0 league win over Saints, Martin O’Neill’s side will know the have an opportunity to make up for that agonising that still lingers after Wilfried Nancy’s dismal tenure.
Celtic have knocked out Auchinleck Talbot, Dundee and Rangers to reach this stage of the competition and with silverware in sight, they will hope to set up a winner takes all meeting with either Dunfermline or Falkirk who contest the other semi-final on Saturday.
Martin O’Neill on Celtic vs St Mirren
Celtic boss O’Neill is relishing the chance to guide Celtic back into a cup final as he opened up on what the competition has meant to him over his career.
Speaking in his press conference on Friday, the Irishman said: “I'm looking forward to it, I really am. I thought that the last time I was there (at Hampden) would have been the last time, but I've got an opportunity in a semi-final now.
“That would be lovely if we could do it (reach a final). But I think St Mirren will obviously take great confidence from the fact that they won recently, played very well against us last week and the last time they played at Hampden, they won the (Premier Sports) cup.
“I’ve always loved this competition. I know I've said this ad nauseum to the lads here about when the only game that was ever live on TV was the FA Cup final. You'd be getting highlights of the Scottish Cup final. I'm talking about when I was growing up as a kid. Not that I ever thought that I'd be participating in it. But, yeah, it's a great competition. It's got a lot of history.
“It is (a great way for any club to finish off the season). We did it way back in 2005. It really was kind of bittersweet in many aspects because we'd lost the league the previous week.”
How Celtic could line-up vs St Mirren
O’Neill has a couple of big selection calls to make following the return of Arne Engels from injury last weekend for the first time since mid-February. The midfielder was introduced as a second half substitute for the final 30 minutes after recovering from a significant thigh problem and will hope to force his way back into the reckoning to start this game.
However, it’s likely that Engels may have to be content to bide his time a bit longer to reclaim his place in the starting XI. O’Neill could instead decide to restore Reo Hatate in central midfield alongside Callum McGregor at the expense of last Saturday’s match-winner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has started the last two games.
Hatate was an unused substitute against Dundee before making a late cameo appearance against the Buddies, but the Japanese utility man has so often come alive at Hampden and could be given the nod on this occasion.
Another alteration could come in the forward line, which still lacks a settled look. In-form Kelechi Iheanacho may be drafted in to replace misfiring striker Tomas Cvancara from the outset.
There will be one enforced change in defence with O’Neill having to make do without centre-back Liam Scales, who misses out through suspension after picking up one too many bookings in previous rounds including the quarter-final shootout win at Ibrox. That could open the door for Brentford loanee Benjamin Arthur to be given the nod amid a shortage of options.
Here’s who we think will start for Celtic, with THREE changes made to the side that ran out 1-0 winners over the Paisley outfit at Parkhead
Celtic predicted XI:
- Viljami Sinisalo - GK
- Anthony Ralston - RB
- Auston Trusty - RCB
- Benjamin Arthur - LCB
- Kieran Tierney - LB
- Callum McGregor - CM
- Reo Hatate - CM
- Benjamin Nygren - CAM
- Yang Hyun-jun - RW
- Daizen Maeda - LW
- Kelechi Iheanacho - CF