Celtic predicted lineup for Hearts away game at Tynecastle

Always a difficult away venue to negotiate, Brendan Rodgers has more fond memories than not when taking his Celtic side to Gorgie, including when he clinched his first league title at the very ground in 2017, in what was the second trophy in an unprecedented ‘Invincible Treble’ season.

Former Rangers and Hearts player Steven Naismith is in charge of Hearts now, having been handed the head coaching role following the dismissal of Robbie Neilson last season. He will be hoping for a better result than last time against Celtic, when Ange Postecoglou’s side won 2-0 against the home team to clinch their second consecutive league championship under the Australian.

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Celtic come into this game in good form, having won their last five games in the Scottish Premiership, whilst Hearts have won three of their games in that time, in what should be an exciting game for those at the ground and watching on television.

With the likes of Maik Nawrocki and Daizen Maeda both back in full training, who will start for Celtic in this one? Our writers have their say.

Tony Haggerty

It's back to the bread and butter of the Scottish Premiership for Celtic as the Parkhead side look to push on at the top of the table.

Rodgers - boosted by his first Glen's Manager of the Month award for September - will be hoping that his Celtic side can replicate their display against Kilmarnock in their last league outing. The men from Glasgow's East End were approximating something near their best as they dismantled the Ayrshire outfit with a performance that belied the 3-1 scoreline.

Assuming all of the Irishman's internationalists returned from duty unscathed, then the Celtic boss will have an abundance of riches to choose from. Tynecastle is never the easiest of venues, but Celtic have had their fair share of recent success and registered three League and Scottish Cup wins out of three in Edinburgh last season.

It is also a stadium that holds a special place in the manager's heart as it was a memorable 2-1 victory at Tynecastle courtesy of Scott Sinclair's late winner that kicked off the Invincible season of 2016/17. However, we are in the here and now and this is the first game of a three-match week which will see Celtic face Hearts, then take on Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park on Matchday Three of the Champions League group stage, before returning to the capital to meet Hibs at Easter Road. Football weeks don't come much tougher than this.

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In goal, Joe Hart will be between the sticks and it will be a back four of Alistair Johnston at right back, Greg Taylor deployed as left back and Cameron Carter-Vickers and newly capped Republic of Ireland centre-back Liam Scales on the right and left-hand-side of the defence respectively. Polish defender Maik Nawrocki continues his rehabilitation but it might be some weeks yet before he gets the nod to come in and dislodge Scales.

In the midfield, it is Celtic's own version of Manchester United's Holy Trinity of Best, Law and Charlton in that it will be captain fantastic Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Matt O'Riley.

Up front, this looks like a match that could be tailor-made for winger Luis Palma. The Honduran would love to continue his red-hot domestic goalscoring form by netting for the third Premiership match in a row, after counters against Motherwell and Kilmarnock. He will occupy the left-wing position and - if fit - then Japanese wide-man Daizen Maeda will be deployed on the right wing. That just leaves Kyogo Furuhashi as the main striker looking to add to his tally of five goals for Celtic this season but is fresh from scoring for the Samurai Blue in midweek.

It's a formidable prospect when the team is firing on all cylinders, and if the adage is true that you are only as good as your last game then the Celtic players will be determined to pile on the agony, whilst putting on the style at Tynecastle.

You wouldn't bet against them doing it.

Tony's team: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; McGregor, O’Riley, Hatate; Maeda, Kyogo, Palma.

Ryan McGinlay

Hearts away at Tynecastle is truly one of the games you look for when the fixtures are released in the summer.

For Rodgers, it has been a bit of a happy hunting ground, and he will relish going back to the place where his Celtic managerial career caught aflame (in a good way) thanks to James Forrest, Sinclair and co. Having managed against Naismith the player, it will be time for Rodgers to go up against the former Scotland international as a coach, in a real Liverpool v Everton reunion of around a decade or so ago, having also come up against him when playing for Sunday’s opponents, too.

Enough about the managers, what about the players that are going to take to the field? There are only a few positions that are debatable at the moment, one of them certainly not the goalkeeper, as Hart will start. In defence, only one spot is up for grabs, as Carter-Vickers, Taylor and Johnston will operate in the centre, left and right of defence respectively. Despite the temptation to play Nawrocki, it will be Scales who retains his place, as the newly capped internationalist is in the best form of his Celtic career by a country mile.

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Despite having strength in depth in the engine room, the midfield three will stay unchanged, as McGregor, Hatate and O’Riley will all retain their places for this one. For Hatate especially, it will be important for him to continue to show the high level of performance he displayed last time out against Kilmarnock on a more consistent basis. If he can do that, then who knows how far this side can go in terms of development and potential. Fresh off of his Player of the Month award, O’Riley will look to impose himself on another game, with the midfielder potentially on course to complete a double with regard to October’s accolade.

In the wide areas, Maeda will play on the right, which means Palma will play on his favoured left wing. It was encouraging to see Maeda training again after pulling out of the Japan squad, as his defensive and counter-attacking work could prove key on the day. For Palma, he has a chance to score in three consecutive Premiership games, which would solidify a solid start to life at Celtic for the Honduran. You wouldn’t bet against him scoring again, especially with one of his audacious efforts that he elects to go for every game.

Up front, Kyogo will lead the line as usual. His last goal domestically was against Dundee a month ago, though he did break the deadlock against Lazio in the Champions League. This slight domestic goal drought needs to come to an end in Edinburgh, with the Japan striker looking to take his international exploits back to domestic matters with Celtic. Always a thorn in the side of the Hearts defence, expect him to score a couple on Sunday if he is given the service. Both teams to score, but Celtic to come out on top once again.

Ryan’s team: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, O’Riley, Palma; Kyogo