On Tuesday, Celtic’s new manager Jon Macken will watch from the stands as his new team takes on Clitheroe. Clitheroe are currently ninth on sixteen points, five places and four points behind Celtic, with four games in hand. Kick-off 19:45.

If Clitheroe continued to get the same points per game as they have so far this season (1.6), they would be above Celtic with their games in hand, so their position is false. Most of those points came at home, where they are unbeaten this season. However, Tuesday will be only their fourth away game, and so far they are yet to win away, one of only two teams with this unenviable record – the other being Chasetown. Their most recent away game saw Clitheroe draw 1-1 with City of Liverpool, with their two losses further back, meaning they are unbeaten in their last five matches, with three draws and two wins. Their last win was a 5-3 victory at home to Bootle.

Vernon Parney is the club’s top league scorer with 5 goals, and scoring one of only three away goals this season. On average they score a goal per game away and 1.9 overall, failing to score in one away match and one home match. Defensively, Clitheroe have conceded an average of 2.3 goals per away game and 1.9 overall, never keeping a clean sheet on the road, conceding seven of their total seventeen away from home. Indeed, in three away games they have nearly conceded as many as at home in seven matches.

When Celtic met Clitheroe last season, we won 1-0 in Clitheroe, thanks to Jordan Burton who cemented himself as a fans favourite that night, whilst in the return fixture Celtic’s dominant first half performance getting to 2-0 thanks to Darius Osei and Max Leonard, was undone thanks to a second half goal from perennial thorn, Andy Teague and a late, late, dubious penalty converted by Richard Baker.

In Clitheroe’s most recent match, a 2-2 home draw with Kidsgrove, Clitheroe lined up as:
1. Hakan Burton
2. Jacob Hanson
3. Dylan Dwyer
4. Sam Olawumi
5. Mark Hughes
6. Charlie Heyes-Green
7. Connor High
8. Luke Gill
9. Emerich Poilly
10. Vernon Parny
11. Jake Connelly

In Celtic’s last match, the 5-2 away defeat to Bootle, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Luke Partington
3. Javid Swaby-Neavin
4. Jordan Burton
5. Jordan Boon
6. Max Leonard
7. Milan Lalkovic
8. Liam Tongue
9. Joe Duckworth
10. Jack Irlam
11. Matthew Bryan

Celtic’s injury list is extensive, with Max Leonard limping off against Bootle. Sean Tse made the bench against Bootle, whilst Jack Tinning pulled up in training and Aaron Chalmers is still some time away. Elsewhere on the pitch, Ash Leather might be available. New manager syndrome might assist Celtic against a team in a false league position who are definitely capable of taking advantage of any weaknesses.