Celtic face Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, looking to maintain their flawless start to the 2024/25 season.
Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys have won seven out of seven games in all competitions this season, most recently defeating Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.
It’s been a fantastic era for supporters, and the team’s appearance in a Hampden semi-final would only add to the positive atmosphere around the club right now.
Falkirk has also been in imperious form. They have a 43-game league unbeaten streak and will travel to Glasgow full of confidence, supported by a large away support.
Nonetheless, it appears to be a nice opportunity for Rodgers to shake up the team after such steady selections over the last few months.
Admitting that his squad has a few ‘niggles’ on Friday, we should expect some changes – but what will they be?
Auston Trusty and Alex Valle could earn their debut Celtic starts against Falkirk
Former striker Chris Sutton is seeking for at least four and wants to see the club’s summer additions given a chance.
He stated this weekend [Daily Record]: “I expect Rodgers to rotate against Falkirk tomorrow.” He cannot underestimate a Championship side that has already eliminated Hearts from the Premier Sports Cup.
“But you’d think this is a chance for Auston Trusty to get minutes, along with Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo and Alex Valle. It’s already talking about strength in depth but what that means is the momentum doesn’t drop when the names on the team sheet change.
“Celtic’s squad will be tested in the coming weeks. They had the A team out the other night but there will be times when someone is injured or suspended and Rodgers will need to shuffle his pack.
“The players coming in need to prove they are more than capable of slotting in and doing a similar job. Celtic ripped up the usual Champions League script the other night – but they need to stick to it on the home front, even if the main characters change.”
Potential Celtic absentees for the Scottish League Cup clash
Luke McCowan will miss the game due to a cup tie, and Brendan Rodgers is expected to rest Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who did not train on Friday.
They also had troubles during the recent international break, so there’s no reason to put them at risk for this one when other players can come in.
The same could be said for Greg Taylor, who has played a lot of football recently, with supporters eager to see what Valle has to give.
It should be a fascinating team announcement, and as Sutton points out, it’s a chance for players who haven’t yet started to build a claim for more regular minutes in a Celtic shirt.
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