St. Mirren face an uphill battle this weekend as they host defending Scottish Premiership champions Celtic in a crucial fixture at The SMiSA Stadium on Saturday evening, with both sides preparing for their showdown in the Premier Sports Cup final later this season.
St. Mirren vs Celtic – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 22nd November.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: The Smisa stadium, Paisley.
St. Mirren team news
The Paisley outfit continue to navigate through a challenging campaign as they prepare to welcome Celtic to Paisley on Saturday evening. St. Mirren captain Mark O’Hara remains sidelined through a persistent foot injury, having been ruled out since the Premier Sports Cup semi-final victory over Motherwell at the beginning of November. The midfielder’s absence continues to be felt in the heart of the St. Mirren midfield, with Robinson’s side missing his leadership and experience in possession. O’Hara is expected to return in the coming weeks, though there is no confirmation he will be available for this weekend’s clash.
Despite their league struggles, St. Mirren have provided a bright spot in their otherwise disappointing campaign by reaching the Premier Sports Cup final, where they will face Celtic at Hampden Park on December 14th. Forward Dan N’Lundulu has been the standout performer in attack, scoring in three of his last four appearances for the Buddies and providing an attacking focal point. N’Lundulu’s energetic displays have earned him a regular starting berth in Stephen Robinson’s side, and the 26-year-old Frenchman will be crucial to any hopes St. Mirren harbour of troubling Celtic’s back line on Saturday evening.
Celtic team news
Celtic face their own injury concerns heading into the weekend with interim manager Martin O’Neill still without a significant portion of his squad. Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Marcelo Saracchi all remain unavailable through injury, with several of these players likely to miss the remainder of the season or significant portions of it.
Despite the mounting injury list, Celtic have shown impressive form in recent weeks under O’Neill’s stewardship. The interim boss has won three of his four matches in charge, including a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock before the international break. O’Neill, the 73-year-old Celtic legend who previously managed the Parkhead club between 2000 and 2005, is yet to have an announcement confirmed regarding the club’s permanent managerial search. French manager Wilfried Nancy from Columbus Crew remains the frontrunner to take the job on a permanent basis.
Form
St. Mirren
St. Mirren sit in ninth place in the William Hill Premiership with just 10 points from their opening 11 league matches, sitting precariously just a point above the drop zone. Stephen Robinson’s side have lost four of their last five league matches, with their only respite coming in a 2-2 draw with Hearts last month. The Buddies’ league difficulties have been compounded by a worrying return in front of their own goal, with the club managing only four goals in six home matches this season.
Celtic
Celtic have regained their winning form since Martin O’Neill took the helm. The Hoops currently sit second in the table with 23 points from 11 league matches, sitting seven points behind leaders Hearts, though they do possess a game in hand. In their last two league outings, Celtic have demolished both Falkirk and Kilmarnock by identical 4-0 scorelines, with the victories representing a stark improvement on their form under previous manager Brendan Rodgers. However, Celtic have struggled on their travels in recent weeks, having suffered three consecutive away defeats to Midtjylland (1-3), Hearts (1-3), and Dundee (0-2) across all competitions before the international break.
Predicted lineups
St Mirren: George; Fraser, King, Freckleton; Richardson, Phillips, Donnelly, Baccus, John; N’Lundulu, Ayunga
Celtic: Schmeichel; Simpson-Pusey, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; McCowan, McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti
How to watch St. Mirren vs Celtic?
Sky Sports and Premier Sports will provide live coverage of the fixture.
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