Tierney To Start? | Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Aberdeen | OneFootball

After a hard-fought late victory over St Mirren at Parkhead on flag day, Celtic will travel to Pittodrie to clash heads with Aberdeen on Sunday lunchtime. The champions of Scotland would seek revenge for their Scottish Cup final defeat, but they must improve their game to avoid another setback against Jimmy Thelin’s men.

The Dons endured a dreadful opening gameweek defeat against Hearts. Their last meeting at Pittodrie was a nightmare for the hosts, who suffered a 5-1 humiliation, but their spirited display at Wembley denied the Hoops a ‘domestic treble’ in May. Celtic remain firm favourites to claim all three points, but Brendan Rodgers must bolster a few areas before the window is slammed shut later this month.

Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Aberdeen

Defence

Kasper Schmeichel had a comfortable outing against the Buddies en route to registering a clean sheet last weekend. The 38-year-old would aim for another one, this time on the road, but might face a sterner test in the last line of defence.

COMO, ITALY – JULY 26: Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic FC competes for the ball with Fahad Al-Rashidi of Al-Ahli SFC during the Como Cup match between Al-Ahli and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 26, 2025, in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Despite little involvement during pre-season, Rodgers deployed Alistair Johnston down the right ahead of Anthony Ralston. The Canadian right fullback impressed with his energy and overlapping runs; however, Kieran Tierney was unable to finish the game due to fatigue and cramps. The left-back is expected to recover in time for the upcoming encounter, and the gaffer is unlikely to alter the central defensive pairing of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales, even though Auston Trusty and the latest recruit Jahmai Simpson-Pusey are waiting in the wings.

Midfield

The Bhoys are heavily reliant on skipper Callum McGregor in the centre of the pitch. Paulo Bernardo is capable of slotting at the base, but the vision, distribution and technicality of the veteran Scotsman make him irreplaceable as a deep-lying playmaker. Summer signing Benjamin Nygren got the nod over Arne Engels in a box-to-box role, and despite featuring as a wide attacker during his tenure at Nordsjælland, the Sweden international has impressed the manager with his all-round traits. Although Luke McCowan rescued the Celts as a ‘super sub’, Reo Hatate should retain his place in the starting XI given his flair, movements and high work ethic as a ‘number 8’. Both Engels and McCowan could be introduced at some stage in the second half.

Celtic have yet to replace Nicolas Kuhn, who completed a big-money transfer to Como. Jota’s long-term injury decimates them further up top, and Rodgers, therefore, might once again rely on a front three of Hyun-Jun Yang, Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda. Idah needs to step up his game to cement his ‘number 9’ status, but his alternatives, Johnny Kenny, Shin Yamada and Callum Osmand, lack enough experience to spearhead the attack. James Forrest might feature from the bench as a wide attacking option.