Celtic travel to Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday looking to build on a first victory under new head coach Wilfried Nancy.
That win has lifted the mood around the club after a difficult start to the Frenchman’s reign.
Nancy’s tenure opened difficultly, with Celtic losing each of his first four matches in charge. The 3-1 win over 10-man Aberdeen at Parkhead, however, felt like a much-needed step in the right direction, as Benjamin Nygren struck on 39 minutes before late goals from Kieran Tierney and James Forrest wrapped up the points.
Reflecting on that display, Nygren highlighted how dominant Celtic had been in attack, admitting the team could scarcely remember how many times they struck the woodwork and insisting they might easily have scored several more. That result leaves Celtic second in the table on 35 points, six behind leaders Hearts but with a game in hand, keeping their title aspirations very much alive.
Celtic team news
Celtic head to West Lothian with a lengthy absentee list. Jota remains out with a knee problem, while Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Kelechi Iheanacho are all sidelined by hamstring injuries and will not feature against Livingston. At the heart of defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers continues his rehabilitation from a serious Achilles injury picked up in October’s Europa League win over Sturm Graz, and he will not return to competitive action before April 2026.
Further up the pitch, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti are also unavailable for selection, with both players away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. Marcelo Saracchi is another who will miss the trip, although he is edging closer to full fitness after his own lay-off. Even with these setbacks, Celtic appear to be gathering momentum at an important stage of the campaign under Nancy, whose first win over Aberdeen has eased some of the pressure and offered encouragement about the direction of travel.
Celtic predicted lineup
Possible Celtic starting XI: Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Tierney, Yang; McGregor, Engels; McCowan, Nygren, Maeda; Kenny
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 3pm BST on Saturday, 27th December.
How to watch Livingston vs Celtic?
Supporters in the UK will be able to follow the game live with the match selected for broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
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