Trusty To Miss The Game? | Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Falkirk

An incredible 4-0 win against Dundee United has brought Celtic back into the Premiership race. Martin O’Neill deserves to be backed by the board in the ongoing winter window, but the focus must be on Wednesday night’s trip to Falkirk. The newcomers have so far impressed in the league, and the Bairns boss John McGlynn would maximise the home advantage, having been defeated twice by the reigning champions on the road.

The Hoops bounced back under the incredible Irishman, overcoming the nightmare of Wilfried Nancy’s stint. Meanwhile, injuries have decimated them in the defensive third, forcing O’Neill to recall Stephen Welsh from Motherwell amid the transfer inactivity from their incompetent management.

Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Falkirk

Defence

After a dreadful run of results, Kasper Schmeichel finally had a quiet outing en route to securing a clean sheet against the Tangerines. The veteran Dane must aim for another one, even though it won’t be as straightforward as the weekend encounter.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JANUARY 10: Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates after he scores his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Dundee United at Celtic Park on January 10, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Despite having Anthony Ralston and Colby Donovan, Celtic have roped in Julian Araujo amid the injury absence of Alistair Johnston. The Bournemouth loanee should keep his place on the right; however, Cameron Carter-Vickers’ season-ending injury and Auston Trusty’s potential hamstring strain sustained against United could see Welsh feature straightaway in the heart of the backline alongside Liam Scales. Marcelo Saracchi has yet to regain match fitness, thus leaving the gaffer with no choice but to stick with Kieran Tierney, who has been involved week in and week out from the left.

Midfield

Skipper Callum McGregor remains irreplaceable for his ability to dictate the tempo from the base as a deep-lying playmaker. Arne Engels and Reo Hatate should operate box-to-box, offering their presence in and around the attacking third. McGregor’s calmness and composure would allow the ‘number 8’ pair to make down-the-middle runs and create chances up top. Benjamin Nygren must be deployed as a ‘super sub’, having shown his exquisite scoring record since joining the Celts in the summer. Paulo Bernardo might also be involved at some point in the second half.

Attack

Hyun-Jun Yang has been in exquisite form while featuring from the right-hand flank. The South Korean attacker deserves the nod over James Forrest and Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Although the flashy footwork and tricky runs of Sebastian Tounekti have not made much of a difference down the left due to his lack of end product, the Tunisian might still appear over Luke McCowan amid the long-term injury absence of Jota. Daizen Maeda, back among goals, should spearhead the attack, with Kelechi Iheanacho being sidelined due to a recurring hamstring problem. Johnny Kenny must continue as the understudy to the Japanese hitman.