MARTIN O’NEILL will spend the next couple of days weighing up the pros and cons of reinstating Kasper Schmeichel or continuing with Viljami Sinisalo for Ibrox on Sunday.
There is the big-game experience of the 39-year-old legendary Dane to take into consideration.
On the other hand, the interim Celtic manager witnessed the 24-year-old Finn, in only his sixth first-team game this season, turn in a superb display in last night’s 1-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the second leg of their Europa League play-off in Germany.
With supreme irony, Schmeichel was blamed for two of the goals that largely contributed to his team’s 4-1 loss in the opening game at Parkhead last week, a deficit that proved insurmountable, despite a strike from Luke McCowan in 29 seconds.
WELL SAVED…Kasper Schmeichel blocks a netbound shot from Dundee United at Tannadice.
WELL SAVED…Viljami Sinisalo rises above Colby Donovan to punch clear in Celtic’s 2-0 Scottish Cup win over Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park last month.
Discussing the battle for the gloves for the crucial encounter in Govan, O’Neill, speaking to TNT Sports, said: “People are making an awful lot of this.
“Kasper Schmeichel, in my spells here, has done wonderfully well.
“He’s made some big saves. He made a couple of saves against Feyenoord and Bologna that got us here.
“Viljami Sinisalo was always going to play in this game. He has an opportunity now to show what he wants to be, Celtic’s first team goalkeeper.
“He wants that, what’s the point in hanging around otherwise?”
The clock is ticking on the big decision.
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