Celtic

Andy Campbell, BBC Scotland

Celtic were much changed for last week's 5-2 Scottish League Cup win over Falkirk and were much changed again in Perth, with injured defender Cameron Carter-Vickers still a notable absentee.

Unlike that tie with Falkirk, Celtic never found themselves behind and chasing the game, taking control early and maintaining their momentum after the disappointment of having a goal chalked off.

Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn and Auston Trusty all threatened and once the opener came, it was a case of how many. Trusty with a shot wide and Luke McCowan with two efforts including one off the post almost added to the rout.

At the other end, Kasper Schmeichel remains unbeaten as a Premiership goalkeeper, with Rodgers' side matching the club's run of six opening league wins without conceding from season 1906-07.

Greg Taylor did not return for the second half, Valle taking his place at left-back, but the Scotland international seemed to be moving freely at the full-time celebrations.

It's Germany next for Celtic, where they will meet a Borussia Dortmund team that beat Bochum 4-2 on Friday.

Nicolas Kuhn may not have scored for Celtic in Perth, but the winger set up two of the goals and was involved in another.

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Interim manager Andy Kirk makes one change to the St Johnstone side that drew 3-3 away to Ross County last time out, as Graham Carey comes into midfield in place of Jason Holt.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers rotated heavily for last weekend's Scottish League Cup win over Falkirk and he reverts to a much more familiar starting XI.

Auston Trusty keeps his place in defence because of Cameron Carter-Vickers' toe injury, but Alistair Johnston, Liam Scales and Greg Taylor all return to the back line.

Arne Engels replaces Reo Hatate in midfield, while forwards Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi all start.

Hatate drops to the bench, as do James Forrest, Adam Idah, Anthony Ralston and Alex Valle but Luis Palma and Stephen Welsh miss out.

St Johnstone: Sinclair, Neilson, Sanders, Cameron, Wright, Carey, Sprangler, Smith, Raymond, Kirk, Clark.

Substitutes: Rae, MacPherson, Essel, Kucheriavyi, McPake, Keltjens, McCrystal, Franczak, Dair.

Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Bernardo, Engels, Kuhn, Maeda, Kyogo.

Substitutes: Sinisalo, Idah, Valle, Yang, McCowan, Nawrocki, Hatate, Forrest, Ralston.

Adam Idah could get the nod ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi for the Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund if Celtic want to play over the home press, reckons the club's former striker Chris Sutton. (Daily Record), external

Luke McCowan says he burst into tears when he finally found out he was going to become a Celtic player - because he thought the deadline day move from Dundee was dead in the water. (Celtic FC Podcast via Scottish Sun, external)

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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St Johnstone are still without suspended forwards Benjamin Kimpioka and Adama Sidibeh while Uche Ikpeazu (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) are still absent.

Cameron Carter-Vickers remains out for Celtic with a toe injury but Alistair Johnston returns.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been talking to the media before his side's Premiership match against St Johnstone on Saturday.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss the trip to Perth, but fellow defender Alistair Johnston has trained all week and is available.

• Rodgers says he expected a drop-off in performance against Falkirk in the League Cup last weekend after making eight changes to his starting XI, but believes the rotation will prove beneficial. "The attitude was great, and those players got minutes in their legs - that will prove valuable."

• Expects managerless St Johnstone to be "prepared and ready" despite the recent sacking of Craig Levein. "It's about ourselves, bringing our rhythm to the game and making it difficult for St Johnstone."

• Praised women's side for reaching the Champions League for the first time - "The progress Elena [Sadiku] has made with her staff and the players has been fantastic".

• After Ayr United manager Scott Brown pulled out of the running to replace Levein, Rodgers says no has "no doubts" his former captain will go on to manage at the highest level.

• Rodgers was asked about packed fixture schedules and says "it is a frustration" for all British teams competing in Europe. Thinks television "takes priority" and pointed to the fact Borussia Dortmund will have an extra day to prepare compared to Celtic.

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Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss Saturday's Scottish Premiership match against St Johnstone with a toe injury.

The American international was absent from Sunday's 5-2 win over Falkirk and is also a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League visit to Germany to face Dortmund.

"He'll miss tomorrow, he's got a pain on his big toe," said manager Brendan Rodgers on Friday.

"We have to look at that each game, he's been playing with it for a little while now.

"We've got to try and manage it now because he was in pain during the Slovan Bratislava game.

"Hopefully it will settle down quite quickly and we'll see where it's at for Tuesday

"It's difficult to tell [whether or not he will be fit for Dortmund], we are concentrating on this game then we'll see where he's at come Sunday and Monday."

Luke McCowan knows he is living out the dream of so many others in playing for his boyhood team Celtic. (Herald - subscription), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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• St Johnstone are without a win in 29 meetings with Celtic across all competitions (D4 L25) since a 2-1 victory in May 2016 under Tommy Wright.

• Celtic have won each of their last 14 away games against St Johnstone in all competitions; only at Queen’s Park (19 ending in 1923) and Partick Thistle (18, ongoing run) have they ever had longer away winning runs against a single opponent in major competitions.

• St Johnstone are winless in 11 home league games (D4 L7); the last side to go 12 straight Scottish top-flight home games without a win were Dundee from December 2018 to September 2021 (15).

• Celtic have won and kept a clean sheet in all five of their league games so far this season.

• The Hoops have won their opening six matches of a top-flight campaign on 11 previous occasions, but only in 1906-07 have they achieved this while also not conceding a single goal.

• In all competitions, Celtic are currently enjoying a 14-match winning run, including all eight so far this season - this is their longest win streak from the start of a campaign since 2000-01 under Martin O’Neill, when they won their first 12 competitive fixtures.

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Women's Champions League qualification would only enhance the feelgood factor at Celtic, says men's captain Callum McGregor.

The SWPL champions are aiming to become the first Scottish team to qualify for the group stage of the competition on Thursday when they host Vorskla Poltava in the second leg of their second-round qualifier.

Elena Sadiku's side took a significant step towards achieving the feat in Sunday's first leg by winning 1-0.

The return match in Airdrie, kicking off at 19:15 BST, will be live on BBC Alba.

"They have a huge chance," McGregor said. "I know they are all looking forward to that chance. Here's hoping they can do it.

"It would continue to add [to the feelgood factor]. Everyone who's here, the expectation is to be playing elite level football in elite level competitions.

"Of course the Champions League is that, but it's very, very difficult to get there.

"They've done great, it's now just about trying to make that last step. There's no reason why they can't do it. Everyone's got full faith in them."

Defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, 24, does not regret joining Twente on loan from Celtic, despite not playing yet for the Dutch side. (Sun), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Callum McGregor believes it is only a matter of time before his former Celtic captain Scott Brown is managing in the Scottish Premiership.

Ex-Scotland midfielder Brown kicked off his managerial career with Fleetwood in 2022 and is now thriving in charge of Ayr United, who are top of the Championship after seven games.

The 39-year-old, who spent 14 years as a Celtic player, is reportedly one of the leading contenders for the current vacancy at top-flight strugglers St Johnstone, who host Brendan Rodgers' league leaders on Saturday evening.

Whether with the Perth club or not, McGregor is confident his predecessor as skipper at Parkhead will soon be a Premiership boss.

"I know Scott really, really well from my time here," the 31-year-old said.

"We played in midfield together for a number of years, and when you do that you understand what makes people tick, how good they really are and how much they understand the game.

"It's no surprise that he's gone into management and he's started really, really well. And I see him having a Premiership job before too long."

McGregor is now forging a strong midfield relationship with new recruit Arne Engels, who has started his Celtic career in fine form following his move from Augsburg last month.

The former Scotland midfielder added: "I saw him on the first day and thought: 'He's a player'. He's a real powerhouse and good on the ball, but you still have to go and deliver when the game kicks off."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

A lot can change in a week in the fast-moving world of Scottish football. Just ask Craig Levein and Steven Naismith.

So when it comes to surveying a year, it can feel like an eternity ago, especially when it comes to the change in mood at Celtic.

Just over 12 months ago, the Parkhead side emerged from yet another bruising European disappointment. They conceded two goals at Feyenoord where Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm got themselves sent off.

Brendan Rodgers had to marshal all his managerial nous to make sure the scoreline remained respectable.

The very mention of those names is another marker of just how far Celtic have come since. Lagerbielke has been sent to The Netherlands on loan, while Holm, still technically in the building, is so far down the midfield pecking order that he’s played a total of 24 minutes in his three appearances so far this season.

That defeat at Feyenoord came a few weeks after a goalless draw at home to Steven MacLean's St Johnstone (I told you things change quickly), which in turn followed a League Cup defeat at Kilmarnock.

It was the start of the supporter unrest at Celtic which ended up with poor Santa being booed when he tried to bring some Christmas cheer to a noisily unhappy Parkhead.

The feeling around the place now could scarcely be more different. Bratislava battered in the Champions League, full points in the Premiership without conceding a goal, Falkirk hit for five when another League Cup upset could have been on the cards.

Rodgers said he really enjoyed the Bairns' bold approach, even although it ended in defeat. He was certainly smiling when he surveyed the stats surrounding his own side.

It was Celtic’s 20th match without defeat, a number which get even more impressive when you realise that 19 of them ended in victories.

Trickier times lie ahead, clearly, with Champions League assignments at Dortmund and Atalanta looming next month.

Perhaps the best indicator of the progress they’ve made is the fact they’ll travel with little to no fear.

Having made a big splash in the new-look format, Celtic’s next task is to keep their heads above the water in what have recently been very treacherous seas.

If they can do that, the plain sailing of the past few months could continue for quite some time to come.

Former Celtic centre-half Dedryck Boyata has been left out of Club Bruges' Champions League squad and will not face his former club. (Daily Record), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Tino
Fan writer

In the entirety of last season's 50-game campaign, Brendan Rodgers' side scored five goals or more on just three occasions.

This season - eight games in - we’ve already done it twice, both of which have come in the last week.

To say the manager has his side flying doesn't really do it justice, and a combination of free-flowing attacking football and a defence that seems hell-bent on shutting out the opposition has provided the Hoops with a 100% record for the season.

A total of 27 goals scored so far will be pleasing to Rodgers, but what will probably satisfy him more will be that those goals have come from no less than 12 different players.

And let's not forget the contribution of Liam Scales. A cornerstone of a defence that's conceded just four goals, the Irishman also has two goals of his own - including the opener against Slovan Bratislava.

With back-to-back Champions League man-of-the-match awards (he picked up the accolade after Celtic's win over Feyenoord on matchday six last season) is the likeable defender getting better and better under Rodgers' guidance?

In truth it's hard to work out what Celtic player to be most excited about just now - a very welcome problem for supporters to have.

While Nicolas Kuhn continues to excel, Daizen Maeda has been mesmerising and Arne Engels has been exceptional - and all in all it's a recipe for success.

It's early days of course, and as we all know, the prizes aren't dished out in September.

However, should this new-look Celtic continue in the same vein then surely it's just a matter of time before further accolades come the way of Rodgers and his players.

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Adam Idah says he was "a bit annoyed" with his display in Celtic's League Cup quarter-final win over Falkirk, despite scoring twice in the 5-2 victory.

The former Norwich striker got his first start since signing permanently for the club in the summer as Brendan Rodgers' men came back twice to beat the second-tier side.

While Idah was "delighted" to net a double, he was left frustrated at not scoring more.

Following the victory, the Republic of Ireland forward said: "I'm probably still a bit annoyed with my performance in the end.

"I thought I probably could have got more goals, that's the frustrating thing. I know I got two, but there are other things I'm not really happy about, so it's a bit of strange moment for me right now.

"I didn't do much in pre-season. Before anyone jumps on that, that wasn't me chucking it or anything, it was just how we trained down at Norwich.

"Obviously it's not as intense down there as it is here, we're at a big club and we want to be on it.

"So when I first came back I was probably a week behind and now I'm getting the minutes in I'm starting to get goals."

Adam Idah says his rivalry with Kyogo Furuhashi to start up front for Celtic is bringing out the best in the pair. (Scottish Sun)

Idah says "it's not as intense down there as it is here" as he revealed he was a week behind Celtic's players in terms of fitness when he arrived in the summer permanently from Norwich. (The Herald)

Former midfielder Michael Stewart has doubts about Luis Palma's chances of breaking back into the Celtic starting XI. (Football Scotland)

Liverpool are preparing to raid Bayer Leverkusen for the Netherlands' former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong, 23, which may mean a sell-on fee for the Scottish champions. (CaughtOffside)

Read the rest of Tuesday's gossip.

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Former Celtic forward Simon Donnelly expects "normal service" to resume for Celtic's game against St Johnstone next week after a much-changed line-up started in the League Cup against Falkirk.

Brendan Rodgers made eight changes to his starting XI for Sunday's 5-2 win with first starts for the likes of Alex Valle and Auston Trusty.

However, it led to a below-par first-half display and it wasn't until a quadruple substitution on the hour mark that momentum swung Celtic's way.

"I think he took the opportunity to rest a couple of knocks and try and blood a few boys," Donnelly told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"But I think they'll need a wee bit more game time.

"I don't think anybody really that came in will push for the next game.

"I think it'll be back to normal service at St Johnstone next week."

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The dates and kick-off times for the two Scottish League Cup semi-finals have been confirmed.

Celtic take on Aberdeen on Saturday, 2 November (17:30), while Rangers face Motherwell on Sunday, 3 November (15:00), with both matches taking place at Hampden.

Celtic fans we asked for your views on Celtic's 5-2 victory over Falkirk.

Here's what some of you had to say:

David: Managers have to use their squad to give their main, front line players general rest and recuperation from niggles and injury. Brendan Rogers is no different. He did just that, but as he admitted, an eight-player change was a bit much. So, he put on the big guns and the difference in class was evident. Also, Falkirk played well. In the end, a good victory.

Anon: Rodgers will have learned a lot from this game and this will shape his first team squad going forward. It will also have highlighted the development work needed on some of the bench players.

Gordy: Firstly, congratulations to Falkirk they came and had a go which is refreshing and something you almost never see from Premiership teams. It's always hard to change the team with players who are are not always getting first-team football. The introduction of Nicolas Kuhn and Arne Engels changed the game, it brought Adam Idah to the fore after being starved of service all day.

Malcolm: Brendan basically gave bench players their chance and they really didn't fall into place. It was a wake-up call for our new recruits, but once the changes were made we showed what we are all about.

Patrick: Kuhn saves the day with another brilliant performance. A poor selection has proved that you cannot make eight changes to the starting line-up and expect to win. Squad rotation is important but it mustn't be all at once.

Edward: Poor first half, better second half but only after the substitutions. Too many first-team changes showed that our squad depth isn't as good as some people think. But overall happy to be in the next round.