McGREGOR HAILS FORWARD HEROES

CALLUM McGregor believes Celtic now have the fire-power to take them into the Champions League group stage with the striker partnership of Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard.

The French forwards were paired together in the 7-0 win over Shamrock Rovers on Saturday and both are set to start against Alashkert when the season begins for real in Armenia tomorrow night. Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, has for the most part resisted playing with two natural strikers, preferring a lone No 9 with two wingers either side in his two years in Glasgow.

However, the record £9million acquisition of Edouard in the summer is one of the reasons for this change in his tactics and McGregor, who scored twice in the weekend’s match in Ireland, believes this will help Celtic rediscover their scoring touch

which deserted them at times last season, despite a second Treble.

McGregor said: “Odsonne and Moussa are great. When you see those two playing together, they have a real knack of knowing each other’s games. They’ve got pace, power and they’re a hard two for anyone to defend against.

“We know that if we get the ball up to that pair as quickly as possible they will do their thing.

“Playing in midfield behind them, you have so many options. You can spin one in behind them, play it to feet and go again. It’s a great platform for the midfield boys to play off.

“You can run beyond them, as well, because you know they’re going to hold it up and give you something to work with.

“With those two there at the top of the pitch, you’ve always got a chance of scoring. And that is something we’re trying to work on again this season: scoring more goals.”

Celtic have suffered too many bumps in the road in Europe to be complacent about any opposition.

McGregor said: “I think we’ve had more experience over the last two campaigns. If we get the team together, get the right shape and we work off each other, we’ve got a good chance.”