Celtic's team seems like it is beginning to gel at just the right point in the season. Plenty of key players have returned from injury and have found fitness ahead of tomorrow's derby, as well as unproven stars starting to find themselves at Parkhead.
The likes of Yang Hyun-jun and Luis Palma have had some hot runs of form in the wide areas but neither of them have been able to make that starting position their own, due to a mix of reasons with Palma picking up a pretty lengthy injury and Yang picking up a two-game suspension for a red card at Tynecastle.
The man that has been starting and starring for Celtic over the last few fixtures has been Nicolas Kuhn. The German seemed to be struggling to find his footing in the early stages of his career in Glasgow, but he looks like a completely different player, and with some off-field issues that had been troubling him now in the rear-view, Nicolas Kuhn looks ready to hit the ground running for Celtic.
He has shone in matches against opponents that Celtic really should be beating convincingly, and tomorrow's trip to Ibrox provides the perfect proving ground for Nicolas Kuhn to announce himself at Parkhead.
All signs point to the German getting the nod on the right flank for Celtic, but can he rise to the occasion in his first start against Rangers?
Explaining his early troubles
Nicolas Kuhn was struggling in the early stages of his Celtic career, and many were already speculating whether it was another wasted transfer to add to a never-ending list.
However, behind the scenes supporters would have been unaware of the health issues the former Rapid Wien winger was facing, as the 24-year-old explained that he had suffered a dramatic weight loss after having his wisdom teeth removed just before Christmas.
That would explain why Kuhn looked so lightweight in his first few appearances for Celtic.
It would also explain why he looks like a completely different player these days, as the German said "For me personally, it took some time for me to get used to the new system,
“But now it feels like it’s getting better and better with every game. I’m happy that I am back to my normal weight and I have my strength back.
“I’m maybe not 100 per cent just yet, but I’m definitely getting better and better.”
Can Kuhn rise to the derby occasion?
Celtic have had plenty of players walk through Parkhead's gates who can put in top performances against the teams towards the lower-end of the table. However, what really separates the decent from the great is performing when the stakes are raised. It really provides an accurate measure of whether a player can handle the pressures and intensity that comes with being a Celtic player, and this will be Nicolas Kuhn's biggest Celtic test to date.
One of the key aspects of his game has been his pace and running, and he will have to be at the top of his game to help Celtic break down an organised Rangers defence.
James McKenzie // @JamesWHMcKenzie