It is early days yet and there is a lot of football to be played before the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final against rangers takes place at Hampden.

But in my mind I think that Celtic ought to be looking now at what is their strongest starting XI for that game – and making sure that everyone gets the requisite game time before then.

I have selected a team that is definitely strong enough to win the game and it is a team that has players in there who have been over the course before.

There are one or two surprises and, of course, you can always end up with unforeseen injuries before then, but this is the team that I would look to send out to Hampden.

I would go with Craig Gordon in goal and a back four of Mikael Lustig, Erik Sviatchenko, Charlie Mulgrew and Kieran Tierney.

Even if Jozo Simunovic is fit by then, I would stick with Charlie. I think that his best position is in there at centre-half and he also has that crucial experience of this fixture and what it is all about.

It is a relatively strong backline and although young Tierney will be going into a game against Rangers for the first time, the lad has shown throughout this season that he has been able to handle the big occasion.

And while I have been a vocal advocate this season for a system that plays two forwards, I think that Ronny Deila will stick to his favoured system for this game.

With that in mind I have selected a midfield that looks to creativity and movement, although it is a selection that may cause a few surprises.

I would go with Scott Brown and Nir Bitton in the middle of the park. Again, they are experienced players and although Brown has not been firing on all cylinders since he came back from injury, he has a good six weeks now to make sure that he is up to speed for a fixture that he has thrived on in the past.

I would then play Callum McGregor wide right and Stefan Johansen wide left wide with Kris Commons just behind the front two.

Commons has been in and out of the team because of injury this season and I think it is fair to say that he and the manager have maybe not always seen things the same way.

But he is a match-winner. He is also a guy who has a strong history of scoring goals against Rangers and he too knows what it takes to come out of this game on the winning side. I don’t think you can underestimate that.

Johansen has not had the best of seasons as we all know but putting him in a wide position might actually take a bit of pressure off him. It is a system that always a fluidity in the last third of the pitch and that is something that will be so important.

McGregor and Johansen are able to interchange with one another to create some flexibility and movement and while Commons doesn’t bring any pace to the team, he is a guy who has shown that he create something from nothing.

Griffiths has had an excellent season and when the goals have gone in the way they have for the striker this season it ensures that every time he walks onto the pitch he does so believing that he will hit the back of the net.

For a striker, that level of confidence can make a world of difference.

But what that system does in terms of being a solid, sensible team is that it also leaves you with a strong bench. It gives you the personal to change things if the game does not go the way you plan it.

You could have guys like Emilio Izaguirre, Scott Allan, Ryan Christie, Stuart Armstrong, Colin Kazim-Richards, Simunovic, Mackay-Steven and James Forrest there.

What that team above is, is well balanced.

It suits the system that Deila likes to play, but it gives the team some stability and movement.

We all know that the game is a good bit away but I think you have to have one eye on it now to ensure that the guys you want to be starting the game at Hampden are getting suitable game time under their belts.

If Celtic play to their full capabilities then this is a game that they should win.

But, as I have said already, this is a game that should give the club a lift. It is a massive occasion, there will be interest from all quarters and it is a tie that Celtic should relish.

They have it well within them to go on and get themselves into the final and win a domestic double but there is no question that they need to lift the performance levels that we have seen of late.