Celtic are back in action once again in the Scottish Premiership this evening as they prepare to play host to Dundee at Parkhead in their tenth match.
The Hoops have won eight and drawn one of their opening eight games in the division, with a 2-2 draw against Aberdeen their only slip-up so far.
Brendan Rodgers’ side ran out convincing 3-0 winners against Motherwell at Fir Park in their last outing in the Premiership on Sunday, but the manager could still look to make changes to his starting XI.
One player who could be ruthlessly ditched from the line-up for this clash with Dundee in Glasgow is experienced right-sided forward James Forrest.
Why James Forrest could be dropped
The 33-year-old winger was given a fourth start of the Premiership season, in nine appearances, in the win over Motherwell but failed to grasp his chance to nail down a spot in the side.
Forrest, who has produced zero goals and three assists in nine league games, did not do enough to suggest that he should retain his place in the team for this match against Dundee tonight.
Minutes
67
Shots
0
Big chances created
0
Pass accuracy
95%
Dribbles completed
1/2
As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international did not make a significant impact in the final third to put a marker down to Rodgers.
The winger did complete 95% of his attempted passes, showing that he was reliable in possession, but zero shots on goal and zero ‘big chances’ created illustrates his lack of quality at the top end of the pitch.
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With this in mind, Rodgers must now brutally ditch him from the starting line-up in order to bring German forward Nicolas Kuhn back into the side.
Why Nicolas Kuhn should start
Put simply, the former Austrian Bundesliga star has been in sensational form for the Hoops across all competitions this season and would offer a greater threat to the opposition for Celtic.
The 24-year-old star has produced six goals and nine assists in 14 appearances in all competitions, more than one goal contribution every game on average.
It took Kuhn just 13 minutes off the bench to register an assist against Motherwell, with a cross for Adam Idah for the third goal, and he produced three key passes and one ‘big chance’ created in 23 minutes of action in total.
The left-footed star, who predominantly plays down the right flank, has scored three goals, provided five assists, and created five ‘big chances’ for his teammates in seven starts in the Premiership, which highlights how impressive and effective he has been in the final third.
Pundit Marvin Bartley described him as “breathtaking” earlier this season and his statistics back that up, as the German magician has consistently delivered with goals and assists for Celtic.
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Therefore, Rodgers must brutally ditch the ineffective Forrest after his showing against Motherwell and unleash Kuhn from the start against Dundee tonight, to cause constant problems down the right wing.
