Predicted Celtic XI vs Kilmarnock: Rodgers makes 3 changes in bid to freshen up team with two-goal UCL hero rested

Celtic will attempt to end another excellent week on a high after the stunning Champions League victory against RB Leipzig when they make the short journey to Ayrshire to take on Kilmarnock.

Brendan Rodgers’ side - who secured their place in the Scottish League Cup final to maintain their unbeaten start to the domestic season last weekend - also boosted their chances of progressing in Europe’s elite competition with a 3-1 win over the German Bundesliga outfit.

Another success on Sunday against Derek McInnes’ men will ensure they remain top of the Premiership table heading into the final international break of the year, but the Hoops will have to be wary having lost two of their last three games at Rugby Park in all competitions.

Killie, meanwhile, have scored and conceded in seven of their last eight league matches and currently occupy eight spot.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference on Friday, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel spoke of the importance of remaining grounded after the midweek high of their European result.

“I think that’s probably the biggest mistake we can make, to get carried away,” he said. “ If we are performing at the level that we were against Atalanta defensively and particularly the entire performance against Leipzig, then we have a good opportunity to progress. But it’s about staying humble. It’s about staying grounded now and not getting too carried away.

“In modern football, you have to be on your game in every single game. There are no easy games and we are in no way expecting an easy game on Sunday. That’s the beauty and the challenge of playing at a club like Celtic. You have to be able to adapt to all the different competitions you’re in. You play a semi-final one day, then you play in the Champions League, and then you play in the league.

“You have to be able to cope with that demand, the physical demand, the mental demand. We’ve shown all the way through the season, up to now, that we’ve been able to do that. Now it’s a new challenge. Like I say, Tuesday’s gone. We’re not thinking of that anymore. That was a great night, a fantastic night for all of us, but at midnight, we park that and we move on to the next one.”

So who will be in and who will be out? We expect Rodgers to make THREE changes from Tuesday’s European victory as he looks to freshen up his side with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Greg Taylor and Nicolas Kuhn all rested for this match. Here’s who we think will be involved:

• Kasper Schmeichel - GK
• Alistair Johnston - RB
• Austin Trusty - RCB
• Liam Scales - LCB
• Alex Valle - LB
• Callum McGregor - CM
• Arne Engels - CM
• Reo Hatate - CM
• Daizen Maeda - LW
• James Forrest - RW
• Kyogo Furuhashi - ST

SUBS: Sinisalo (GK), Taylor, Palma, Idah, Kuhn, McCowan, Carter-Vickers, Bernardo, Ralston