Major Celtic team news as summer signing handed first start against Shakhtar Donetsk

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has handed summer signing Saed Haksabanovic his first start in tonight’s Champions League meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Montenegro international was signed from Russian side Rubin Kazan for a cut-price £1.7million in the summer and has impressed on his appearances from the substitutes bench in recent weeks.

The 23-year-old, who was born in Sweden, will now be handed a chance to make an impact from the start against the Ukrainian side in Warsaw this evening as Celtic bid to get their first points on the board in the Champions League group stages.

He takes the place of Liel Abada in the line-up in one of two changes from the side that started the 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid last week.

Sead Haksabanovic has been handed a first Celtic start against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Japanese star Kyogo Furuhashi has also been restored to the starting XI in place of Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, who drops to the bench.

Celtic team: Hart, Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Jenz, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, O’Riley, Jota, Furuhashi, Haksabanovic.

Subs: Bain, Giakoumakis, Abada, Mooy, Turnbull, Bernabei, Abildgaard, Maeda, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh.