MARTIN O’NEILL has handed Jahmai Simpson-Pusey his Celtic debut as he shakes up his team for the game against Kilmarnock at Parkhead this afternoon.
The on-loan Manchester City defender comes in at right-back with Anthony Ralston dropping to the stand-by squad.
Marcelo Saracchi, Luke McCowan and Reo Hatate also get starting places with Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren and Arne Engels stepping down.
Daizen Maeda, who replaced James Forrest at the interval in Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League loss in Denmark, is back on the right wing with the evergreen Celt omitted from the matchday squad.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Simpson-Pusey, Trusty, Scales, Saracchi; McCowan, McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti. Subs: Sinisalo, Nygren, Balikwisha, Yang, Yamada, Engels, Murray, Ralston and Tierney.
Earlier today, we asked how much you could remember about recent associations with the Ayrshire side in CQN’s fun five-minute quiz to test your knowledge.
Now we repeat those questions and provide the answers.
HOW’S THAT FOR OPENERS? Reo Hatate celebrates his goal in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on August 4 last year. (See Question 2.)
QUESTIONS:
1: True or false: Adam Idah scored the opening goal against Killie in the second meeting of the teams at Rugby Park in November last year?
2: Who scored Celtic’s opening league goal last season when the champions beat Derek McInnes’ side 4-0 on Trophy Day at Parkhead?
3: Which Celtic player joined Killie in an emergency loan last month?
4: Callum McGregor fired in the opener, but who claimed the winner when the teams met in the Scottish Cup-tie at Parkhead in January?
5: True or false: Celtic played Killie four times last season and won them all?
ANSWERS:
1: False. Callum McGregor scored the first goal and Nicolas Kuhn claimed the second in a 2-0 win.
2: Reo Hatate.
3: Goalkeeper Tobi Oluwayemi.
4: Daizen Maeda.
5: True.
Well done if you got five out of five. Go to the top of the class!
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v Kilmarnock this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
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