OLI SHAW insists managerless Hibs will relish the challenge of taking on Premiership leaders Celtic.
Shaw is adamant the search for a successor to the departed Neil Lennon will not be allowed to affect him and his team-mates as they travel to Parkhead.
The Easter Road outfit suffered their third defeat in four league matches in Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at home to Aberdeen to stay rooted to seventh spot in the table.
With Livingston and a resurgent Motherwell just two points behind, the capital side are having to look over their shoulders as well as keeping their sights trained on St Johnstone five points ahead in sixth.
But Shaw, who scored for the second game running to take his tally to seven for the season at the weekend, believes Hibs can ignore the managerial speculation and rise to the occasion against the Hoops.
The 20-year-old said: “We’re professionals. At the end of the day, we need to focus on the job and the games that are in front of us, and the task ahead.
“The off-field antics will take care of themselves, and as professionals we’ll just train and look forward to the next game and prepare properly for that.
“Luckily enough for us, we’ve got a game on Wednesday to go and try to bounce back in.
“I know it will be a tough game, but it’s one we’re all looking forward to, and the new boys will all come in and freshen things up.
“Celtic are a class side and going there will be a difficult task. But we’ve shown when we played them here that we can give them a good enough game.
PROBLEMS
“We need to take that into the game through there.
“We’ll set up to go and try to win the game but we know they can cause us problems going forward.
“If we get a chance hopefully we can take it and hopefully we can get something from the game.”
Shaw scored twice against Celtic last season and started the rousing 2-0 win against the champions at Easter Road back in December.
And he is confident he can add to that record if he is given the nod by interim bosses Eddie May and Grant Murray on Wednesday night.
He added to Hibs TV: “I’ve scored a few goals against them, but it’s on the day that counts.
“Eddie and Grant are going to pick the team they think is best to win the game.
“If they pick me I’ll go out there and try to be a striker and score my goals, as I’m meant to do.”
