Neil Lennon confirms Celtic star will start in the Cup Final

Neil Lennon has pretty much confirmed that the Celtic start will in the starting XI when they take on Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final.

A lot of questions have been raised about Neil Lennon’s selection heading into today’s Scottish Cup Final against Hearts at Hampden Park. And while most of them are still up in the air, we pretty much know the name of one man who will be starting for Celtic.

The club have had their problems up front this season, largely because of the fact that Odsonne Edouard has failed to score goals on a consistent basis. But it looks like Lennon will keep his faith in the Frenchman, as he has shown in the past that he is a big game player and thrives on pressure situations.

As reported by the Daily Record, the Celtic manager hailed Edouard ahead of the final:

"“These occasions bring the best out in Odsonne. He is a big-game player.“That’s a great thing to have and it speaks volumes for his character as you forget how young he is.“He is quality and is a real talismanic figure for us. If he is on song then we have a real chance of winning the Scottish Cup.“Like the majority of the players, he misses the fans in the stadium at the moment.“He’s an entertainer at the end of the day but he’s in a good position mentally and physically and, like the others, he’s had a good record in this competition.“We are all looking for more of the same in the Cup Final.”"

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While he has not been a man in form lately, there can be no doubt that he is still the best striker at the club. And as a result, Lennon has to start him on such a big occasion. The story might have been a bit different if Albian Ajeti had found his scoring boots or Leigh Griffiths had managed to remain fit for a considerable length of time. But as things stand, the Frenchman is the main man at Parkhead.

The bigger issue is with the selection in midfield. The Hoops are coming off the back of two straight wins, largely thanks to the introduction of David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro into the fray of things. Both of them have been brilliant and deserve to start.

Lennon has hinted though that he will show loyalty towards his ‘Old Guard’. As a result, do not be surprised to see the likes of Scott Brown and Ryan Christie back in the line up although neither of them has shined this season.