St Mirren v Celtic: Injury Challenges for Leaders in Paisley
Date: Saturday, 5th September
Kick-off: 8pm BST
Venue: The Marbill Coaches Stadium, Paisley
McLeish patched up and punching upwards
St Mirren have taken the early weeks of the season by the scruff of the neck. Ten points from four league games, unbeaten, and just two off the top. Now the league leaders roll into Paisley, and Craig McLeish is counting bodies in midfield more than he’s counting points.
Killian Phillips is out with a shin injury and won’t feature, though there is some relief on the horizon with the midfielder due back on the grass in light training next week. Liam Donnelly’s abductor problem and Malik Dijksteel’s hamstring strain strip even more steel from the centre of the pitch, leaving the Saints thin in exactly the area they’d want to be strongest for a visit from Celtic.
Jonah Ayunga remains a long-term absentee, his recovery timetable keeping him out until January. It’s a sizeable miss for a squad that has already had to dig deep in recent weeks.
So McLeish turns to a reshaped spine. Jacob Chapman is expected to start in goal, with Alexandros Gogic and Henry Fieldson anchoring a back line that will need to be both stubborn and brave against the Premiership’s most ruthless attack.
The recent form offers encouragement. After that heavy League Cup defeat to Rangers, St Mirren steadied themselves. A wild 3-3 draw with Motherwell showed both their attacking verve and defensive vulnerability, but the response was strong: a gritty 1-0 away win at Kilmarnock that kept them right in the early title conversation.
They are not top. But they are close enough to smell it.
Celtic arrive perfect – but far from full strength
Celtic travel to Paisley with the table exactly how they like it: their name at the top, four wins from four, and 11 goals scored to just two conceded in the league. Domestically, they have been ruthless. Aberdeen were brushed aside 3-0, Falkirk edged out 2-1. The only real bruise came in Europe, with an extra-time exit to LASK in UEFA Champions League qualifying.
The Premiership, though, has been a different story. In Scotland, the champions-elect have looked relentless.
Yet Martin O’Neill’s team sheet tells a very different tale. The left side of his defence has been stripped bare. Kieran Tierney, Kasper Høgh and Callum Osmand are all out with thigh or ankle issues, leaving Celtic’s manager juggling options in a position that once felt locked down for years.
The problems don’t stop there. New Chelsea loanee Landon Emenalo, signed to add depth and dynamism, has picked up a training knock and isn’t ready to debut. Alistair Johnston is ruled out until October with a fresh injury, while Jota continues his long rehabilitation from a serious knee problem.
The pressure on the remaining defenders is obvious. Liam Scales is set to plug the gap at left-back again, while the responsibility at the other end of the pitch falls on Camilo Durán, who is expected to lead the line.
There is at least some fresh energy available. Late-window arrivals Joël van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba have both been cleared to play and could feature, adding options in a squad suddenly stretched in key areas.
Form lines and fine margins
St Mirren’s start has been bold. Ten points from twelve, goals in chaotic games, and the kind of resilience that wins respect in dressing rooms across the league. The 3-3 draw with Motherwell underlined their attacking potential; the narrow win at Kilmarnock underlined their nerve.
Celtic’s numbers are even cleaner. Four league games, four wins, 11-2 on aggregate. They have found different ways to win: fluent and free-scoring one week, patient and grinding the next. Their European stumble hasn’t bled into domestic duty yet.
Now comes the test of depth. McLeish is without key midfielders. O’Neill is scrambling to cover holes in defence. One side is chasing the leaders, the other trying to stay perfect.
Predicted lineups
- St Mirren (expected): Chapman; Ramsay, Gogic, Fieldson, John; Nsio, Carr; Mochrie, Taylor, Kabia; Agrafiotis
- Celtic (expected): Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor; Hassan, Nygren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hyun-Jun; Duran
How to watch
The match will be shown live, exclusively, on Sky Sports Football.
St Mirren, unbeaten and emboldened, against a Celtic side winning through an injury storm. One of them walks away from Paisley still talking about a title charge. Which one blinks first?
