Cameron Carter-Vickers tipped for Celtic drop but Ismaila Soro to keep starting spot - line-up predictions for Livingston

After their midweek exertions in Seville, Ange Postecoglou could opt to ring the changes as the Hoops try to build some domestic momentum at Almondvale.

Will that mean a return for Stephen Welsh at the expense of recent signing Cameron Carter-Vickers? With Liel Abada back, what about Adam Montgomery, who put in a mature display against Real Betis on Thursday?

Here, our writers make their line-up predictions for the Livi match.

Alison McConnell

Team selection and the possibility of making changes to the side who lost 4-3 to Real Betis on Thursday night will be determined on just who emerges from the treatment room.

The loss of key players is difficult to offset with Callum McGregor and Kyogo Furuhashi offering a tone to Celtic that is difficult to replicate when they are absent.

James McCarthy to switch places with Ismaila Soro may be a consideration, although there is a sense that Soro has been made the scapegoat for the defeat in Seville which is not truly reflective of his stats on the night which suggest a more industrious performance than initial impressions would have suggested.

In any case, the game at Livingston on Sunday is of the must-win variety for a Celtic side who have been ill at ease on their travels of late. The performance will come second to the result with David Martindale's sticky opponents for Celtic in recent seasons on their own turf.

The plastic surface never lends itself well to decent Celtic performances so while it might not be pretty it will be about simply getting the points on board.

Alison's team: Hart; Juranovic, Welsh, Starfelt, Ralston; McCarthy, Rogic, Turnbull; Jota, Ajeti, Abada.

Andy Bargh

Qualifiers, league games, league cup games, an international schedule and now the Europa League group stage.

To call the calendar Celtic players face 'hectic' probably doesn’t cut it, especially as a number of them are just off the back of a European Championship too.

It doesn’t stop, though, with Livingston next up at Almondvale. The Lions are a team that, in theory, shouldn’t provide Celtic with as much trouble as Real Betis but this isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Celtic’s squad was fairly thin for the midweek trip to Seville, especially in an attacking sense with Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada and James Forrest unavailable. Callum McGregor also missed out as well as Greg Taylor.

Abada is the only one expected to return; he missed the Betis game for religious reasons – the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur – and will be available barring any late change in circumstance. He’ll probably play on the right, with the impressive Jota on the left. Albian Ajeti has three goals in two games and should keep his place in Kyogo’s absence.

WATCH: Where do Celtic need to improve in defence after defeat to Real Betis?

In midfield, Celtic fans are querying the peripheral involvement of James McCarthy, who is behind Ismaila Soro in the pecking order at the moment. There’s a chance he’ll play on Sunday though, but such is the paper-thin depth of Celtic’s midfield, it could well be David Turnbull and Tom Rogic in front of him. Maybe Liam Shaw will get a game?

In defence, with Greg Taylor recovering from shoulder surgery, Josip Juranovic could continue on the opposite flank to his habitual one. Anthony Ralston scored his third of the season in Spain and is highly likely to play on the right.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has been thrown straight into the team alongside Carl Starfelt but Stephen Welsh was in good form before the American’s arrival. Starfelt will probably stay in the team but the Spurs loanee could make way for Welsh.

Andy's team: Hart; Ralston, Welsh, Starfelt, Juranovic; McCarthy, Rogic, Turnbull; Abada, Ajeti, Jota

Sean Martin

Plenty of debate but not much choice is the way I'd characterise the options available to Ange Postecoglou.

Joe Hart made a couple of good stops against Real Betis and gave a decent account of himself in general on his first outing with the captain's armband and he'll likely retain that at Almondvale.

In front of him I think Postecoglou will persist with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt despite some shaky moments against Betis. Stephen Welsh was hard-done-by to be taken out of the starting XI in the first place last weekend but chopping and changing again perhaps doesn't suit anyone concerned. 

There is a risk in continually playing both your right-backs in the same team but I suspect that is what will happen again in West Lothian, with Anthony Ralston on the right and Josip Juranovic on the left. 

Ismaila Soro rightly came in for criticism for his rash decision-making against Betis but he does do some things well in the middle and could be trusted to make his second start in a row against Livi. Just keep your fingers crossed he does not give into temptation and end up booked in the early stages again. There could be something to be said for getting Nir Bitton out of cold storage in the next couple of games while James McCarthy still does not look quite ready for the full 90-minute task.

The David Turnbull-Tom Rogic axis can inspire and frustrate but in the absence of other attacking midfielders to shoulder the creative burden in the central areas I think Postecoglou sticks with both providing they are fit.

With Liel Abada available again, he could slot back into the right-wing berth with Jota switching to the left despite his impressive showing going forward in Abada's place on Thursday. That would be harsh on Adam Montgomery, who put in a mature display, but Abada has been a first-choice so far while Jota was just that bit more impressive than his Scottish counterpart.

Up front, Albian Ajeti will have the chance to make it three scoring games in a row.

Sean's team: Hart; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Juranovic; Soro, Rogic, Turnbull; Abada, Ajeti, Jota.