Celtic must unleash “fantastic young player” who could be Kuhn 2.0.

The first silverware of the season will be up for grabs in Scotland on Sunday, when passionate rivals Celtic and Rangers clash in the League Cup Final at the National Stadium. Brendan Rodgers has never lost a match at Hampden as a manager, winning three League Cups in the process, and has the best win percentage of any manager in Old Firm history (79%), winning 15 of his 19 meetings with Rangers and losing only once. The Hoops have won the last two League Cup Finals against Glasgow’s big two, most recently prevailing 2-1 in February 2023, thanks to Kyōgo Furuhashi’s brace.

Currently, Celtic and Rangers both have 118 major honours to their names, meaning that a victory for the Bhoys on Sunday will result in them having more trophies than their arch rivals for the first time since 1938. Ahead of this important showdown, we consider the key selection that Rodgers must make.

Celtic’s domestic dominance

Celtic have advanced to their seventh League Cup Final in just nine seasons, defeating both Hibs and Falkirk at Parkhead in the early rounds, though the current Championship leaders did give them a scare in September, leading 2-1 with only 20 minutes to play before late braces from Adam Idah and Nicolas Kühn secured victory.

No such problems in the semi-finals, however; facing an Aberdeen side that had yet to taste defeat under Jimmy Thelin, the Celts steamrolled the Dons, winning 6-0, 3-0 at half-time, and five ahead by the hour mark, with Daizen Maeda scoring only his second hat-trick in green and white. Meanwhile, in the Premiership, the champions have 43 points out of a possible 45, putting them nine points clear at the top and 11 points ahead of Rangers, who appear to be on track to win their 13th title in just 14 seasons.

Meanwhile, they’re doing well in the Champions League, with Tuesday’s goalless draw against Dinamo Zagreb leaving the Hoops 21st in the massive table, knowing that a win over already-eliminated BSC Young Boys in Glasgow next month will guarantee a position in the knockout stages. Before that, attention returns to local issues, with Celtic looking to win their 20th trophy out of the last 25 available, most recently winning the Scottish Cup in May, defeating their city rivals in fairly dramatic circumstances. So, as Rodgers prepares to lead another final victory over Rangers, the question remains: who should he select in midfield?