Neil Lennon wary of Hibs threat as Celtic boss looks ahead to Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash

Hoops boss well aware of what visitors can do

Neil Lennon is aware of the threat posed by his former club Hibs

Neil Lennon has insisted he is only too aware of the threat Hibs can pose his Celtic team when the two sides meet at Celtic Park on Sunday.

The Hoops boss managed the Easter Road side for just over two-and-a-half years, leading them to the Scottish Championship title and a return to the top flight.

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s fixture, the Northern Irishman alluded to his former team’s strengths in an interview with Celtic’s website.

Lennon said: “Hibs have started the season really well, they had a good draw last weekend [against Rangers], a good 3-0 win over St Mirren and the only real blip has been a defeat to Aberdeen earlier in the season.

"I know a lot of the players, I know the qualities they have and for us it’s great to have another game at home – one that we’ll be looking to not only win but to try and win well.

"It’ll be important for ourselves to keep that momentum going.”

Celtic started the league campaign strongly with a 5-1 win against Hamilton Accies before a stuttering 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and a narrow 1-0 win at Dundee United, but the Parkhead boss insists his team is starting to look more consistent.

Lennon added: “We’re still embedding the new players in. We started off with a back four at the beginning of the season and more recently we’ve gone to a three.

"It takes time and a little bit of adjustment to that, but we’ve won six out of seven in the league now and have drawn the other one. That’s good going and it’s really good consistency.

"I think we’re still to hit top form, but I’m delighted with the way we’ve negotiated the games and the catch up that we’ve had to do.”

Lennon also hinted that he could shake his team up for the visit of Hibs, with the Premiership clash coming just days after Celtic’s involvement in the Europa League.

He continued: “We think long and hard about each selection for every opposition.

"With the amount of games we’ve had in this burst between international breaks, I think it’s important that we do give players the opportunity to play and keep the squad fresh."