Celtic and Kilmarnock go head-to-head at Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon in a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter.
The hosts will be looking to bounce back from their midweek Europa League disappointment. Kilmarnock, meanwhile, are desperate to end a worrying run of defeats that has seen them slip down the table.
Celtic vs Kilmarnock – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 9th November.
- Kick-off: 4pm BST.
- Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow.
Celtic team news
Celtic’s injury list continues to grow following Thursday’s 3-1 defeat to Midtjylland in Denmark. Interim manager Martin O’Neill confirmed that teenage striker Callum Osmand suffered a hamstring injury after he was stretchered off during the Europa League clash. The 19-year-old, who had scored in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final victory over Rangers just days earlier, underwent a scan on Friday morning, with O’Neill admitting “it doesn’t look good”.
Kelechi Iheanacho remains sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained against Sturm Graz and will be unavailable for “a few more weeks,” according to O’Neill. The Nigeria international’s absence leaves Celtic short of striking options, placing additional pressure on Johnny Kenny, who has been in red-hot form with three goals in his last three appearances.
There was better news regarding Arne Engels, who was substituted late against Midtjylland with what appeared to be a hamstring concern. O’Neill provided a positive update, stating: “He’s a little bit sore at this moment. I think that they think that, they’re hoping that he’s going to be okay. I think it was just more stretching than anything else”.
Long-term absentees Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles) and Jota (ACL) remain out. The American defender facing between three and five months on the sidelines. Right-back Alistair Johnston is also unavailable due to a hamstring injury, with his return expected against St Mirren on November 22. Daizen Maeda and Marcelo Saracchi could both feature after recovering from minor injuries.
Kilmarnock team news
Kilmarnock continue to deal with their own injury problems ahead of the trip to Glasgow’s east end. Striker Djenairo Daniels is ruled out for the remainder of the season following knee surgery after sustaining the injury on international duty with Suriname.
To address the loss of Daniels, Killie have signed former Arsenal academy forward Tyreece John-Jules on a short-term deal until the end of January. The 24-year-old is immediately eligible for selection and could make his debut at Celtic Park.
Marley Watkins is working his way back from a heel injury, while Matthew Kennedy remains sidelined with a hip problem. Manager Stuart Kettlewell also revealed there are still nine senior players unavailable, adding to the challenges facing the Ayrshire side.
On-loan goalkeeper Tobi Oluwayemi is ineligible to face his parent club Celtic, creating what Kettlewell described as a “moving situation” in terms of goalkeeping options.
Form
Celtic
Martin O’Neill has enjoyed a mixed start to his interim spell in charge of Celtic. The 73-year-old returned to the club following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation on October 27 and immediately steadied the ship with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Falkirk at Celtic Park. Johnny Kenny scored twice in that match, signalling the start of his impressive run of form.
The Hoops followed that up with a dramatic 3-1 extra-time victory over Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden. Goals from Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand secured Celtic’s place in the final, providing a much-needed boost after a turbulent period. In the league, Celtic sit second with 20 points from 10 games, trailing leaders Hearts by nine points, although the Hoops do have a game in hand.
Kilmarnock
Stuart Kettlewell’s side is enduring a nightmare run of form, having lost four consecutive matches in all competitions. Most recently, Killie were humbled 3-1 away to newly-promoted Falkirk, conceding three times in the opening 38 minutes.
Following that defeat, Kettlewell issued an apology to supporters: “I understand that sometimes this is said for dramatic effect, but we owe an apology to the fans who travelled to support us for our performance in the first half. Supporters invest their hard-earned money to follow their club. The least we can provide is a genuine effort to win our individual contests.”
Predicted lineups
Celtic: Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Saracchi; Bernardo, McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.
Kilmarnock: Oluwayemi; Brown, Stanger, Deas, Thompson; Watson, Lyons, Lowery, Tiffoney; John-Jules, Anderson.
How to watch Celtic vs Kilmarnock?
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