NEW Bhoy Matt O’Riley will make his Celtic first-team debut against Hearts at Tynecastle tonight.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who agreed a £1.5million switch from MK Dons last week, goes straight into Ange Postecoglou’s side for the crucial encounter in Edinburgh.
Former England youth international O’Riley will line up alongside another January signing, Reo Hatate, and Nir Bitton, who will captain the team, in a much-changed engine room with skipper Callum McGregor, Yosuke Ideguchi and David Turnbull out injured while Tom Rogic is with Australia on World Cup duty.
Remarkably, only three players – Joe Hart, Carl Starfelt and Giorgos Giakoumakis – who started in the bruising 2-1 Scottish Cup win over Alloa at the weekend are included in the starting eleven.
Cameron Carter-Vickers also returns to central defence alongside the Swedish international.
TEAM: Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; Forrest, Hatate, Bitton, O’Riley; Jota and Giakoumakis. Subs: Bain, Jullien, Scales, Abada, Soro, McCarthy, Ralston, Welsh and Doak.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best action images from Hearts v Celtic this evening – only in your champion CQN.
