Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has suggested his club-record signing Kasper Hogh will start on the bench for the visit to St Johnstone. The 25-year-old Danish international recently returned from a knock but is being managed carefully ahead of a congested fixture list.
O'Neill admitted he underestimated the forward's workload before his £11 million summer move from Norway. "In all honesty, I hadn't realised how many games he had played prior to joining us due to how the season works over in Norway," the Celtic boss said. Hogh's return came in the 1-0 win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on 9 September, a result that left the Perth side seventh in the Premiership with seven points from six games.
O'Neill is prioritising the long-term fitness of his major investment over immediate selection. Hogh suffered the injury in a 5-1 defeat to LASK and only made his comeback in that narrow victory over St Johnstone, where Mika Baur's 52nd-minute goal decided the contest. With three matches across different competitions in the next week, including a Europa League opener where Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is suspended, the manager is rotating his squad.
"We've got three huge games over the course of the next week in three different competitions," O'Neill said. "Kasper is going to be a big player for us for sure." The manager added his hope is to handle this period unbeaten, with Hogh primed for a major role after the upcoming international break.
The news may offer a slight tactical reprieve for Craig Levein's side, who were edged out by that single goal last time. St Johnstone's form has been mixed, with a win over Hibernian and a draw with Dundee punctuated by three defeats in their last five outings. They have scored eight goals but conceded nine this season, leaving them with a negative goal difference.
Facing a Celtic side potentially without its most expensive attacking weapon could alter the defensive approach. However, O'Neill still has decisions to make in attack, weighing up who replaces the absent Yang on the left wing and who leads the line. Goalkeeper selection is also under discussion, with Viljami Sinisalo and new signing Sam Johnstone in contention.
For St Johnstone, this is another opportunity to measure themselves against the league leaders, whom they trail by 11 points. The Perth club will be keen to build on the positives from the previous encounter, where they limited the damage to one goal. Their immediate focus, however, shifts to a home match against 10th-placed Falkirk on 19 September, a key game in their quest to climb the table. Fans can check the upcoming fixtures for all the dates.
The memory of Hogh's first-half hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock earlier this season will remind St Johnstone of his threat, even from the bench. But for now, O'Neill's comments point to a patient reintroduction, with the visit to McDiarmid Park serving as another step in the Dane's recovery. St Johnstone's squad details and current availability can be found on the squad page.
Further reading: sports.yahoo.com
