GREEK international keeper Vasilis Barkas is poised to make his debut against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park tomorrow afternoon.
The £4.5million shotstopper will attempt to achieve something that was beyond fans’ favourite Fraser Forster on three occasions last season – prevent Alex Dyer’s side from scoring a goal.
The Ayrshire outfit claimed three strikes against the champions in the trio of meetings, coincidentally all 3-1 triumphs for Neil Lennon’s men.
Barkas sealed a four-year switch in the rundown to the Premiership opener against Hamilton Accies at Parkhead last Sunday with the Hoops gaffer opting to go for Scott Bain as the club embarked upon their historic 10-in-a-row bid.
The former Dundee netminder was helpless with the visitors’ goal that took a double deflection off Callum McGregor and Christopher Jullien before sweeping low past him to his right.
Thankfully, Odsonne Edouard, with an excellently-taken hat-trick, Jeremie Frimpong and substitute Patryk Klimala all scored to put the title kings on top of the league after day one.
Barkas watched the action from the stand, but the 26-year-old custodian is likely to get the nod to take his bow tomorrow with a 4.30pm start.
Lennon, speaking to the Daily Record, admitted: “He’s had a good week’s training, so we’ll make a decision on that in the next 24 hours.
“Going to Rugby Park, it will be – I wouldn’t say an eye opener for him – but certainly a bit different.
“Obviously, there will be no fans plus the artificial pitch.
“So, we’ll need to make sure he’s as well prepared as possible by kick-off time in terms of the conditions and circumstances he’ll face.”
