Celtic players told team for Aberdeen league trip early ahead of cup final

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers named his team to face Aberdeen on Wednesday immediately after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Hibernian.

Rodgers is looking to the subsequent match against the Dons in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final on May 24 as he looks to rotate the William Hill Premiership champions’ squad.

There were only three changes on Saturday, all of them influenced by fitness issues. Kasper Schmeichel and Nicolas Kuhn returned after injury and Cameron Carter-Vickers dropped out with a minor issue.

But Rodgers handed 17-year-old midfielder Sean McArdle a late debut off the bench and will freshen the team up further for Pittodrie in midweek.

“You’re obviously looking at recovery periods and looking at the Scottish Cup final and trying to work your way back,” he said.

“Plus, we played a week ago, so no, I didn’t think the need to do that (make lots of changes), but I’ve already named the team for Aberdeen to the guys, they know the team for Wednesday.”

Rodgers insisted his Pittodrie team selection would not be influenced by trying to keep his cup final team away from Aberdeen.

“I trust all the players,” he said. “The players I’ll bring in will be equipped and ready to go there and win the game. It’s just on the back of such a long, long season and having the freshness.

“Obviously, we’ll have Ali Johnston, he’ll be back then for Wednesday as well.

“I just think it’s keeping the freshness in the team. The target was to arrive at the Scottish Cup final with as many of the players with minutes in their legs.

“And then that gives us an opportunity to choose the team and a bench to win.”

Schmeichel will drop out to allow time to assess his shoulder while Viljami Sinisalo gets another opportunity to feature.

“Viljami will play,” Rodgers said. “It was just for Kasper to get the feeling again. He’s been out for a long time, but I think that him being out, the positive is that having the chance to see Vil now and his authority, you see the calmness of him for such a young goalkeeper.

“We’ve really, really gained from that.

“But with Kasper, I know in football there’s short memories, but not with me. He’s been brilliant for me all season, and it’s just nice to get him that feel, see how he reacts with his shoulder over the course of the week, and then we can look at it next week.”

Hibs remain in pole position for third place ahead of Wednesday’s trip to face St Mirren after both Aberdeen and Dundee United lost.

Head coach David Gray said: “We need to make sure that we give absolutely everything to finish it off as strongly as we can because it is in our hands and it’s a reflection on how good the group’s been.

“But it’s the final push now from every single member. Whether it be a staff member, a player in this dressing room, whether you’re disappointed because you’ve not played or not played well, no time to feel sorry for ourselves to make sure we get ready for Wednesday night.

“It’s another cup final and it’s a game that will be a difficult one because it’s the one team in the league we’ve not managed to beat this season, so the players want to try and put that right as well.”