Celtic open their UEFA Europa League League Stage campaign at home to Hungarian side Ferencvarosi TC on Thursday evening. The match at Celtic Park kicks off at 19:00 UTC and comes after a 3-0 defeat away to Rangers last weekend.
Brendan Rodgers's side will be without key defenders for the fixture. Alistair Johnston is sidelined with a hamstring injury and is not expected back until October. The manager confirmed the absence of Callum Osmand and Jota as well, both of whom are recovering from ankle and cruciate ligament injuries respectively.
Despite that setback, Celtic's domestic form has been strong. They sit first in the Premiership with 18 points from six wins in six games, five points clear of Rangers. Their recent run includes four consecutive victories before the loss at Ibrox, with Camilo Durán leading the scoring charts with three goals this season.
Ferencvaros arrive having not played a competitive match since early August, when they lost 2-1 at home to Real Madrid in a Champions League qualifier. Their pre-season included a draw and a win against Dutch side Twente. The Hungarian champions' last European outing in the spring saw them eliminated by SC Braga.
Celtic's last starting lineup, used in the defeat to Rangers, featured Sam Johnstone in goal with a back four of Colby Donovan, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales and Kieran Tierney. Callum McGregor and Mika Baur anchored the midfield, with Durán, Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti supporting striker Kasper Høgh.
The focus now turns to European competition, with the team aiming to start their group phase positively. After this match, Celtic's next fixture is a Premiership trip to face Dundee United on 30 December. Check the upcoming schedule on our fixtures page.
