Celtic face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday in a crucial Scottish Premiership clash as the champions look to keep up the pressure in the title race.
Second-bottom Killie are battling to pull clear of the relegation places, while third-placed Celtic aim to close the gap on leaders Hearts in the closing stretch of the 2025-26 campaign.
Kilmarnock vs Celtic – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 15th February.
- Kick-off: 2pm BST.
- Venue: The BBSP Arena, Kilmarnock.
Kilmarnock team news
Full-back Dominic Thompson is available again after serving a one-match suspension for the red card he collected in that heavy defeat to Rangers at Ibrox, having sat out the win over St Mirren.
McCann is not expected to make many changes from the side that edged St Mirren, with Bruce Anderson partnering John‑Jules again in attack after both impressed in midweek.
Kilmarnock remain without several players: Kyle Magennis (knee), Djenairo Daniels (knee) and Matty Kennedy (hip) are all sidelined and will miss the Celtic game.
Those absences continue a long-running theme of injuries for Killie, with Magennis and Daniels in particular having been out for an extended spell that stretches back to earlier phases of the season.
Celtic team news
Arne Engels, who limped off during the victory against Livingston, is a doubt for the trip to Kilmarnock, potentially opening the door for Oxlade‑Chamberlain or Reo Hatate to start in midfield.
Celtic are already without long-term absentees Cameron Carter‑Vickers (Achilles), Jota (knee), Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand (both hamstring), all of whom remain on the sidelines.
Martin O’Neill previously explained in November that Johnston is expected to be out for “four or five months” and Osmand for “five months” following their hamstring surgeries, while confirming that Jota will not return before the end of the season.
Form
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock’s rollercoaster run includes league defeats to Rangers and Motherwell, a Scottish Cup exit to Dundee, league wins over Aberdeen and St Mirren, and a draw at Livingston.
Under Neil McCann, Killie’s points return has improved markedly, with their average jumping from around 0.62 points per game before his arrival to roughly 1.4 points per game over the last five outings, helped by an upturn in goalscoring.
Celtic
Celtic have put together four straight wins in all competitions since back-to-back draws against Bologna and Hearts in late January, with victories over Utrecht, Falkirk, Dundee and Livingston.
O’Neill’s side sit third with 51 points from 25 league matches, six points behind leaders Hearts but with a game in hand. The Irishman boasts an eye-catching 82.3% win rate this season (14 wins from 17 matches).
Predicted lineups
Kilmarnock: Roos; Curtis, Brown, Deas, Schjonning-Larsen; Watson, Lyons, Polworth; Kiltie; John-Jules, Anderson
Celtic: Schmeichel; Araujo, Trusty, Scales, Saracchi; Hatate, McGregor, Nygren; Tounekti, Cvancara, Maeda
How to watch Kilmarnock vs Celtic?
In the UK, the Kilmarnock vs Celtic match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra HD.
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