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HERE'S WHY JAMES FORREST SHOULD START AGAINST RANGERS

Brendan Rodgers is preparing his side for what could be the most important Glasgow Derby in 12 years.


The two sides last met a few weeks ago in a game where the winner could have taken a giant leap towards the title. That match ended in a 3-3 draw, and it was a result that Celtic would argue favoured them more in the quest for the league championship.


Since that game, a lot has changed in the world of Scottish Football, with Rangers falling behind following a defeat in Dingwall against Ross County followed by a draw at Dens Park against Dundee.


This will be the first derby of the season where Celtic are the favourites, with the media as well as the bookies giving the home side the early edge, and recent form suggests that the champions should come on top.


One of the big talking points will be who starts on the wings for Celtic. One of Rangers' biggest threats comes from their full-backs, with James Tavernier being their main man this season and Ridvan Yilmaz looking set to start on the opposite flank with Borna Barisic picking up a knock in their victory over Kilmarnock on Sunday.


Brendan Rodgers will be counting himself lucky that this decision looks to be a relatively straight-forward one, with there being two clear options for Celtic to play on the wing this afternoon.



Daizen Maeda


Daizen Maeda looked as though he had been ruled out for the season after suffering an injury in the previous meeting with Rangers at Ibrox. However, Brendan Rodgers has stated that the winger has recovered remarkably well, and Maeda's return against Hearts received wide acclaim from the home support.


The Japanese winger went on to post on social media thanking the support, and declaring that he will be "ready for the next game".


This provides a massive boost for Celtic as Maeda has scored twice against Rangers, and always seems to cause problems for James Tavernier with his relentless pace and pressing.


This isn't just in an attacking sense, as we all know about the qualities Maeda can bring defensively as he constantly burns up and down the flank. He has proven himself to be a real team player, and that's exactly what Celtic needs this afternoon.



James Forrest


The winger has been rolling back the years over the last few weeks, and whilst many may have raised their eyebrows when Rodgers described James Forrest as his "best winger" a few months ago, the doubters have certainly been silenced.


The veteran made an impact from the bench in the Scottish Cup semi-final, and followed that up with a match-winning brace against Dundee at Dens Park.


He carried that form over against Hearts, turning Dexter Lembikasa inside out time and time again and he even got involved with the defensive side of things as well.


A nailed-on starter for the Rangers game, Forrest will be facing his biggest test in his career renaissance so far. Could another starring role even boost his chances of being on the plane for the European Championships?


james McKenzie // @JamesWHMcKenzie

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