Norris returns to the limelight but who’ll shine for the champions?

Dylan McGeouch

Shamed Euan Norris faces the television cameras tomorrow in his first big appointment since failing to spot Leigh Griffiths sensational ‘goal’ for Hibs against Hearts.

Norris has been dropped down the divisions and kept away from the high profile fixtures since his Easter Road howler made Scottish football a laughing stock with pictures showing that Griffiths’ shot was almost a yard over the goal-line before bouncing back into play.

Neil Lennon will push the phony controversy of the Player of the Year vote to one side as he begins the build up to the Scottish Cup Final against Hibs next month.

Kris Commons, Efe Ambrose, Joe Ledley and Kelvin Wilson are all on holiday giving the Celtic boss the opportunity to make a number of changes particularly in central defence.

Thomas Rogne played for Celtic’s title winning u-20 side at Inverness on Wednesday and could be given another first team chance but with contract talks stalled Lennon may look to put Charlie Mulgrew and Victor Wanyama together to combat the threat of Michael Higdon.

In midfield Tom Rogic and Dylan McGeouch will be keen to impress knowing that Wanyama and Beram Kayal are suspended from the cup final with a huge question mark over the fitness of Scott Brown.

The last time that Lennon was in a similar position was in February where he rested half a dozen regulars at Inverness before the Champions League clash with Juventus.

In that occasion Rogne was partnered in defence by Marcus Fraser with Rami Gershon making a scoring debut with most supporters delighted by the show of strength from the fringe players.

The remaining fixtures could prove to be a damp squib but with a cup final to aim for there are no shortage of incentives for the players to target.

CELTIC at Inveness CAaley Thistle: F Forster, N Miku, B Kayal, A Stokes, M Fraser, T Rogic, T Rogne, D McGeouch, K Commons (Chalmers 45), R Gershon (Matthews 65), P McCourt (Watt77)

SUBS: Zaluka, Herron, Atajic, Lassad

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