St. Mirren vs Celtic - Match preview and team news

Date: Saturday, 5th September.

Kick-off: 8pm BST.

Venue: The Marbill Coaches Stadium, Paisley.

St. Mirren team news

St Mirren manager Craig McLeish faces his own squad rotation challenges, particularly in midfield, due to a string of key player absences.

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Killian Phillips is officially ruled out of the fixture with a shin injury, although the club is optimistic as he is scheduled to return to light training on grass next week.

The Saints will also be missing Liam Donnelly, who is recovering from an abductor injury, and Malik Dijksteel, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.

These absences leave the team noticeably light in the middle of the park for this high-stakes clash.

Additionally, long-term absentee Jonah Ayunga is still a significant miss for the squad, with his recovery timeline ruling him out of action until January.

Jacob Chapman is expected to start in goal behind a reshaped backline featuring Alexandros Gogic and Henry Fieldson.

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Celtic team news

Celtic faces a major selection dilemma in defense ahead of their match, particularly at left-back, where they are experiencing an acute injury crisis.

Manager Martin O'Neill will be without Kieran Tierney, Kasper Høgh, and Callum Osmand, who are all sidelined with thigh strains or ankle issues.

Compounding these absences, newly signed Chelsea loanee Landon Emenalo is dealing with a training injury and is not yet fit to debut.

Alistair Johnston remains unavailable until October with a fresh injury, while Jota is still recovering from a long-term knee problem.

Because of these defensive injuries, Liam Scales is expected to fill in at left-back once again, while Camilo Durán looks set to lead the line up front.

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On a brighter note, recent late-window signings Joël van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba have both been cleared to play and could make their appearances.

Form

St. Mirren

St Mirren sits just two points behind the leaders after an impressive, unbeaten start to their league campaign. The Saints have taken ten points from their first four games, bouncing back from a heavy League Cup defeat against Rangers with resilient domestic displays. Following a chaotic 3-3 draw with Motherwell, Craig McLeish's side secured a vital 1-0 away victory against Kilmarnock to keep themselves firmly in the title conversation.

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Celtic

Celtic enters the weekend leading the Scottish Premiership with a flawless domestic record. The Hoops have secured four wins from four league games, most recently dispatching Aberdeen 3-0 and grinding out a 2-1 victory over Falkirk. While they suffered a disappointing extra-time exit in UEFA Champions League qualifying against LASK, their league form remains relentless, having outscored their Premiership opponents 11-2 across their opening fixtures.

Predicted lineups

St. Mirren: Chapman; Ramsay, Gogic, Fieldson, John; Nsio, Carr; Mochrie, Taylor, Kabia; Agrafiotis

Celtic: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor; Hassan, Nygren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hyun-Jun; Duran

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How to watch St. Mirren vs Celtic?

The match will be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports Football.

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