THEY have started up front together for Celtic on just two occasions.

And the total number of goals they have scored for the Scottish champions in those outings?

Zero. Nil. Nada. Zilch.

But the fact that Leigh Griffiths and John Guidetti formed the attack against Ross County at the weekend has set tongues in Glasgow wagging.

Will, many Hoops supporters are now speculating, Ronny Deila select the duo in the League Cup semi-final with Rangers on Sunday?

There are several options available to the Norwegian coach entering the hotly-anticipated showdown with the Ibrox club.

Griffiths, Guidetti, Stefan Scepovic and Anthony Stokes will all be hoping to get the nod from their manager in the massive meeting with their city rivals.

Each man has different abilities and qualities and has shown on occasions this term that he is capable of breaching the opposition rearguard.

Much, of course, will depend on whether their manager throws caution to the wind and plays two up top or adopts a more cautious approach and goes with a lone striker.

However, Deila today gave a fairly strong indication that the partnership he tried out once again up in the Highlands is worth persevering with.

The Australian and the Scot were named in the starting line-up for the first time in the SPFL Premiership match with Ross County at Parkhead last month.

Despite netting 15 goals between them in the 2014/15 campaign up until that point, they each drew a blank in a deeply disappointing 0-0 draw.

And at the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall on Saturday it was a similar story as their efforts in the final third were continually frustrated.

It took a long-range Kris Commons strike, deflected off the legs of opposition defender Paul Quinn, to break the deadlock and secure a narrow 1-0 win.

Yet, Deila believes the negativity of the opposition - rooted to bottom spot in the top flight - on both occasions was partially to blame for that.

And speaking to SportTimes at Lennoxtown, where he was stepping up preparations for the meeting with Rangers, he extolled the virtues of both Griffiths and Guidetti.

He said: "We have to be able to play a 4-4-2 system if the game requires it and that is what we did on Saturday.

"I think we did that quite well at the weekend. It is hard when the pitch is so small and there is so little space.

"The opposition at the weekend also played so deep and were difficult to break down.

"It takes time for players to develop an understanding together in a match situation. That is especially true of players in attacking positions.

"To build up a relationship takes more time in the forward positions than in other areas of the pitch because of the speed at which they play.

"I think that all strikers can play together if they are required to.

"I am sure that in the future we will see John and Leigh combining to good affect for the team.

"They did well together at the weekend. They created chances for the teams, but we were not accurate enough to be able to take them. But I am sure it will be different in the future.

"They are different kinds of strikers and they both have great qualities which I think will complement each other. But they need time to develop their relationship.

"We have good competition for places in every area of the team at the moment and up front.

"The players who are selected there have to do well to stay in the team. I am sure they will."

Griffiths was arrested under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act last week in connection with an incident in an Edinburgh pub last year.

But that did not seem to affect the 24-year-old, who took his tally for the season to five with a goal in the 4-0 win over Motherwell last Wednesday night, against County.

Despite not netting against Jim McIntyre's men, the former Hibs and Wolves man probed tirelessly for an opening and forced some fine saves from Antonio Reguero. Deila will have no hesitation pitching a player who has fully embraced his coaching ideology since he arrived last summer into the white-hot atmosphere of the Glasgow derby match. He said: "I have been impressed with Leigh and how well he has done since the summer. He has worked very hard in training and is starting to get the benefits of that.

"His fitness has improved a great deal and you can see that in games. He has greater stamina and helps the side in every area of the pitch.

"But he is also scoring goals now which is what he is in the team to do.

"I think he is keen to do well for himself and for the team in every game.

"Leigh has a great attitude as well as good ability and is always wanting to try his hardest in training.

"If you do that every day then you will do well in your career.

"He has scored a lot of goals in the past and is a real threat up front for our side.

"He poses a danger against any side that he plays against either domestically or in Europe."