Preview

 

Sports Mole previews Saturday's pre-season friendly clash between Celtic and Blackburn Rovers, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Celtic continue their pre-season schedule with a fixture against Championship club Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon.

While the Scottish giants will be playing their fourth game of the summer, Blackburn will be participating in just their second 90-minute friendly.

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Match preview

At this stage of the summer, Celtic are usually trying to negotiate their way through the European qualifying rounds, handing them competitive football from the off.

However, with Champions League football already secured, Ange Postecoglou has been able to witness his squad slowly get up to speed through a number of friendlies.

So far, Celtic have two wins and a draw to their name, their preparations being undertaken in Austria and Czech Republic against the likes of Rapid Vienna and Banik Ostrava.

In the latter of those games on Wednesday, Celtic came from behind to run out 4-2 winners, although the goals conceded took their tally to five for the summer.

Facing off against Blackburn should represent a step up in quality ahead of further games against Legia Warsaw and Norwich City.

From the perspective of the visitors, they have encountered a different level of schedule, one which started off with two 60-minute games at Accrington Stanley.

The fixture at Dundee on Wednesday night marked their return to 90-minute action, a 1-1 draw being recorded in their first game North of the border.

An own goal from a Dundee trialist was required to earn a share of the spoils, but Jon Dahl Tomasson will be happy enough with his players experiencing the standard format in preparation for their first Championship game at the end of the month.

Rovers are still to make a senior addition this term, giving their current crop a chance to stake a claim for a regular spot in the team during the early weeks.

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Team News

Having made sweeping changes to his Celtic XI at half time against Banik Ostrava, Postecoglou may be prepared to stick with the same starting lineup for this game.

Only Joe Hart, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh, Callum McGregor and David Turnbull played for an hour or longer, and their places could come under threat.

Tomasson will make sweeping changes to his Blackburn XI after naming a young side for the meeting with Dundee.

While the likes of Tyler Magloire and Ryan Hedges may retain their places in the side, at least nine changes will be made to the starting lineup.

Ben Brereton Diaz should feature for Rovers, despite continuing to be linked with a transfer away from Ewood Park.

Celtic possible starting lineup:
Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Taylor; McGregor, Turnbull, O'Riley; Jota, Kyogo, Forrest

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Brown, Magloire, Ayala, S.Wharton, Pickering; Travis, Buckley; Hedges, Gallagher, Brereton Diaz

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We say: Celtic 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn can only have benefitted from their meeting with Dundee earlier this week, even if the team was largely made up of players who may struggle to earn regular game time during the early weeks. Nevertheless, Celtic have been scoring goals for fun, and we feel that will continue at the weekend.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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