Celtic will continue their Scottish Premiership journey with a match against Falkirk at Celtic Park on Saturday.
Celtic vs Falkirk – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 29th August.
- Kick-off: 3pm BST.
- Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow.
Celtic team news
Celtic F.C. enters this domestic fixture dealing with a mixture of sudden illnesses and long-term absences under manager Martin O’Neill.
Most notably, club captain Callum McGregor is a major doubt for the match. The influential midfielder missed Friday’s primary training session due to a disruptive stomach bug.
Although O’Neill remains hopeful that his captain can recover in time for kick-off, his inclusion remains uncertain.
Defensively, the hosts are definitively without right-back Alistair Johnston, who remains sidelined until October.
Johnston suffered a severe hamstring injury earlier this month against Kilmarnock.
Additionally, Portuguese winger Jota remains unavailable for selection as he continues an extensive rehabilitation program for a serious cruciate ligament injury.
On a positive note, central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and left-back Kieran Tierney have both overcome minor midweek physical knocks and are expected to feature in the starting lineup.
Falkirk team news
Falkirk F.C. faces a severe squad selection crisis ahead of their trip to Parkhead, as manager John McGlynn navigates an extensive injury list.
The visitors are missing seven crucial first-team players. This significantly limits tactical options across all departments.
Tom Lang and Keelan Adams have both been completely ruled out of the matchday squad. The midfield is similarly depleted, with the notable absences of Aidan Nesbitt, Craig Sibbald, and Finn Yeats due to lingering fitness issues.
Ethan Laidlaw and Joe Gardner remain sidelined. This compounds Falkirk’s struggles as they search for their first Scottish Premiership goal of the new campaign.
Despite these significant setbacks, the Bairns can rely on some veteran stability at the back. Former Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain is fully fit and anticipated to start in goal against his previous club.
Form
Celtic
Celtic F.C. has enjoyed an exceptionally dominant domestic start, safely securing a perfect six points from their opening two Scottish Premiership matches. They began their league defense by edging past Dundee F.C. 1–0 before ruthlessly dismantling Kilmarnock F.C. 5–1. Martin O’Neill’s side also comfortably progressed in the League Cup with a 4–0 routing of Dundee United. However, the Hoops suffered a major reality check in midweek European action, collapsing to a heavy 5–1 playoff defeat away against LASK.
Falkirk
Falkirk F.C. has struggled to adapt to life in the top flight, collecting just one point from their initial two league outings. John McGlynn’s team opened the campaign with a disappointing 2–0 home defeat to St Mirren F.C. before showing defensive resilience in a hard-fought 0–0 stalemate against Motherwell F.C.. Though they enjoyed a positive League Cup group stage, highlighted by a 3–0 win over Stranraer, the Bairns have notably failed to score a single Scottish Premiership goal so far this season.
Predicted lineups
Celtic: Sinisalo; Murray, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Nygren, Tounekti; Hogh
Falkirk: Bain; Strain, Neilson, Henderson, McCann; Barbrook, Krauhaus; Doherty, Yeats, Ross; MacIver
How to watch Celtic vs Falkirk?
The Celtic vs Falkirk match is not being broadcast live on TV in the UK or Ireland due to the traditional Saturday 3:00 PM broadcasting blackout rule.
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