Five key battles

With three comfortable wins over Sevco already this season Celtic are expected to comfortably win Sunday’s Glasgow derby.

Brendan Rodgers side are just seven points away from clinching six-in-a-row with the pre-season boasts from Ibrox running especially hollow.

Since the December 31 win at Ibrox Mark Warburton has departed with another rookie, Graeme Murty, given the task of squaring upto Brendan Rodgers.

No one will be taking this game more seriously than the Celtic boss who demands nothing less than 100% from his 24 hour athletes.

With a huge squad to choose from any player that is short of their best will find themselves out of the side.

In every position Rodgers has strong competition for places with no favours granted as Dorus de Vries and Kolo Toure will testify to.

De Vries and Toure were in the Celtic side that won 5-1 in September but are now out of contention. With his side evolving and improving month by month Rodgers will put out a highly motivated team on Sunday looking to deliver the result that all home fans are looking for.

MOUSSA DEMBELE V CLINT HILL

There will be an 18 year age gap between these two but that’s not all that will separate them.

Last season it was Fulham v QPR, on Sunday it’ll be the Glasgow equivalent with the odds stacked in favour of the young Celt.

Hill has apparently been the star find of Mark Warburton’s summer spending spree which probably says more about the other aces and starlets that arrived at Ibrox than it does about the 38-year-old.

With Dembele likely to fly out the traps it’ll be a long 90 minutes for Hill who’ll be returning to quieter waters in the summer

PATRICK ROBERTS V LEE WALLACE

This is the opportunity that the loan bhoy has been waiting on- head to head with the Sevco skipper.

Waldo earned a great reputation down in the lower divisions but has found life much much tougher facing Ross County and St Johnstone on a weekly basis.

Roberts has had to largely settle for the role of back-up this season but with James Forrest out Sunday will be his stage.

Playing towards the Lisbon Lions Stand in the second half look out for a master-class of wing play from Roberts.

SCOTT BROWN V ANDY HALLIDAY

The Celtic skipper has been in supreme form this season while the boy from Copland Road has been getting slaughtered by his own fans.

Digging in will be the order of the day from Graeme Murty with Halliday expected to keep a close watch on Brown.

The former Hibs midfielder revels in these confrontations and will exploit the attention of the former Halliday to the maximum, just as he exposed Joey Barton in September.

ERIK SVIATCHENKO V MARTYN WAGHORN

Waggers believes that his side are the most likely team to end Celtic’s unbeaten run!

Goals in the top flight have been hard to find for the former Wigan ace who has notched five times in the Premiership with more than half of them coming against Hamilton.

Sviatchenko has been in and out of the Celtic side in recent weeks but seems to have the trust of Brendan Rodgers.

With a little experience of this fixture he’ll realise the limitations of his opponents and play a key role in ensuring that there are no slip ups in defence.

STUART ARMSTRONG V DANNY WILSON/ ROB KIERNAN

Armstrong won’t be losing much sleep over whether Kiernan wins his appeal against the red card he picked up against St Johnstone.

Whoever partners Clint Hill is in for a difficult time trying to keep track of Armstrong as he backs up Dembele in attack.

Tom Rogic’s injury has resulted in Armstrong being pushed back into an attacking role with the former Dundee United man a constant goal threat.

Armstrong has the personality to thrive in this fixture and will be looking to make another winning impact.