Celtic might have won this weekend but realistically, there is only one game of consequence left on the club's calendar. That is the Scottish Cup final, set to be played later this month at Hampden Park, against Aberdeen. The Dons are looking to end a decade-plus drought for silverware. On the other hand, the Hoops are aiming to complete their sixth treble in nine seasons.
Aberdeen have given Celtic problems this season. So, Brendan Rodgers' side will know what to expect and won't be taking them lightly. At least one would hope that that is the case.
Also, Celtic will get a chance at a bit of a dress rehearsal before the Scottish Cup final. They will travel to Pittodrie Stadium to take on Aberdeen in midweek.
The title race is already over, so, Celtic have the freedom of picking whatever team they want without worrying about the result. There are some who might feel that the Hoops should be careful, not to show their hand before the Scottish Cup final. Rodgers does not appear to be one of those people though.
Brendan Rodgers confirms Celtic boost before Scottish Cup final
Rodgers has also confirmed a major boost for Celtic heading into the Scottish Cup final. It looks like Alistair Johnston is closing in on fitness and will be back on the pitch very soon.
As reported by The Celtic Way, Rodgers said:
"It's just that on the back of such a long, long season, and having the freshness, and obviously we'll have Alistair Johnson, he'll be back then for Wednesday as well. So yeah, I just think it's keeping the freshness in the team.
I want the target to arrive at the Scottish Cup final with as many of the players, got minutes in their legs, and then that gives us an opportunity to choose the team and a bench to win."
Celtic are a phenomenal team. There is no doubt about that. And on their day, they should have enough in the tank to get the better of Aberdeen and win the Scottish Cup.
Finals are often one-off games though. No result is a foregone conclusion, especially against a team like Aberdeen, who have big wins this season and were looking like title contenders for a little while before their form took a dip.
So, Celtic will want their best players to be available and Johnston certainly falls under that category. He has been the first-choice right-back since he arrived at the club in early 2023.
This has been his best season in a Celtic jersey, despite a slight dip in performance levels in the second half of the season. Overall, he has scored 4 goals and provided 12 assists. An excellent return from right-back.
That being said, Anthony Ralston has been impressive in recent games as well. He put in a superb performance against Hibernian, providing an assist and creating five chances for his teammates. He also completed 92% of his passes, won both his aerial duels and was not dribbled past once. So, Rodgers has two pretty good options to pick from.