When the Hoops play Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup on Saturday, Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Viljami Sinisalo will make his Celtic debut. Kasper Schmeichel will not play because of a back injury.
Rodgers stated that Schmeichel won’t be risked against Raith, even though the injury isn’t thought to be serious. However, he should be healthy for Wednesday’s Champions League knockout match against Bayern Munich at Celtic Park.
Rodgers provided the following explanation of his goalkeeper issue during his pregame press conference on Friday: [TV Celtic]
“Kasper Schmeichel is not going to play. As a result, Viljami Sinisalo will begin.
Kasper’s back was having a minor problem. Thus, he will not play in the match. Based on my observations of Viljami during the preseason, he is a youthful goalie who performed admirably in those games. It will be exciting to watch him make his debut.
Despite impressing Rodgers during preseason in America, the Finnish goalkeeper, who joined Celtic from Aston Villa last summer, has been patiently awaiting his opportunity to play competitively.
As Celtic continues their pursuit of domestic trophies, Sinisalo will now have the chance to demonstrate his skills in a pivotal game with Schmeichel out.
Having Schmeichel fit will be crucial for Celtic as they play Bayern, who could endanger their chances of qualifying for Europe. Meanwhile, everyone will be watching Sinisalo as he tries to establish himself in the Hoops.
The goalie will make his debut on Saturday night at Paradise under the lights, but Brendan Rodgers has chosen not to give him a League Cup or Scottish Cup debut thus yet.
