The 2 Celtic line-ups Brendan Rodgers has at his fingertips for assault on Champions League and Scotland
If all goes to plan for Celtic this season, they'll be playing more games than ever before – so strength in depth will be the key for Brendan Rodgers.
The expanded Champions League format means the Hoops are guaranteed a minimum of eight European games, and should they achieve what they're aiming for in the domestic cups, they'll be pushing SIXTY games in 2024/25 even before you consider the prospect of a prolonged Euro run. You don't manage that type of schedule with just a starting XI. But luckily for Rodgers, he has two.
A late window rush to reinvest some of the substantial funds raised by Matt O'Riley's move to Brighton means the Hoops squad is looking stacked. The hope will be that Arne Engels and Auston Trusty can take the first XI up a level while Alex Valle and Luke McCowan offer serious depth in areas it was needed.
There is likely to be plenty of rotation - the Hoops will be in action 21 times between their return on September 14 and Christmas, with precious few midweek breathers in that gruelling run. So we've taken a look at the two XIs Rodgers has available to mix and match between as he looks to strike a balancing act to attack all fronts.
Of the four new arrivals Celtic brought in this summer, it will be hoped that Engels and Trusty, at least, can take the starting XI up a gear. Don't get it mixed up, neither Paulo Bernardo nor Liam Scales have done anything to merit losing their place in the team, and their respective performances against Rangers proved they won't be giving it up easy. But the level of investment placed in these two signings in particular can be taken as an indicator of the regard in which they are held.
Plans change and there are only really three positions in the Celtic team you can