McCowan Should Start | Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Aberdeen | OneFootball

Celtic celebrated their 55th Premiership title last weekend in front of the Parkhead crowd. They are now on a mission to conquer Hampden Park and claim a ‘domestic treble’ by defeating Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup showdown. The Dons suffered a 1-5 humiliation at Pittodrie when they hosted the Celts’ second string a few days back, and it will be colossal for Jimmy Thelin’s men to script an upset on Saturday afternoon, considering their dreadful run of form.

Aberdeen had a flying start early in the season when they went head-to-head with Celtic for the league crown. However, they could not maintain the momentum and eventually slipped to 5th following a final gameweek defeat against Dundee United. The Tangerines secured the fourth spot on goal difference, and the Dons must defy the odds in Mount Florida to salvage their campaign.

Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Aberdeen

Defence

Rodgers rested his first-team stars against Aberdeen to avoid injuries and fatigue. But he restored them in their 1-1 draw with St Mirren at Celtic Park. Kasper Schmeichel returned between the sticks and is expected to retain his ‘number 1’ status over Viljami Sinisalo.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 02: Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic celebrates after he scores the opening goal during the Premier Sports Cup Semi-Final match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden Park on November 02, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Despite a below-par performance against the Buddies, Liam Scales might keep his place ahead of Auston Trusty and Maik Nawrocki, and partner with Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of the backline. Alistair Johnston is back in business after a brief injury layoff, and the Canadian right fullback should get the nod even though Anthony Ralston has impressed in limited gametime. Although this could be Greg Taylor’s final game in Celtic colours, the Scotsman remains the first-choice over Jeffrey Schlupp down the left.

Midfield

The gaffer might undergo a selection dilemma in the middle of the park amid Reo Hatate’s absence. Paulo Bernardo failed to impress as a box-to-box midfielder and could be replaced with Luke McCowan, a more attacking-minded ‘number 8’ compared to the Portuguese youngster. Arne Engels must exhibit his ball-carrying traits and creative spark, and the presence of skipper Callum McGregor deep down the midfield should allow the pair to dominate the space in and around the Aberdeen box.

Attack

Daizen Maeda was enjoying a blistering scoring streak as a centre-forward since Kyogo Furuhashi’s winter exit. But Jota’s knee injury has forced Rodgers to shift the Japanese hitman down the left to accommodate Adam Idah high up the pitch. Nicolas Kuhn must be the first-choice on the right, but the Northern Irish boss could bring in James Forrest, Hyun-Jun Yang and Johnny Kenny as an alternate ‘front three’ at some stage in the second half.