Celtic vs St Mirren

Celtic have handed a debut to Yuki Kobayashi but key man Cameron Carter Vickers is absent. Giorgos Giakoumakis also doesn't make the squad amid swirling ...

A goal down inside 15 minutes is the nightmare scenario for teams coming to Parkhead, yet Saints came straight back at Celtic as Joe Hart had to divert a long ranger from Jonah Ayunga. Celtic had the game faces on against a team who is about as close to a bogey side the champions get these days. The flag went up and VAR rubber stamped the call but it was an early warning from a side that can cause any rival grief. St Mirren are still the only domestic side to earn a win bonus against Postecoglou’s men, when they did a number on them back in September. Jota was jinking, Abada driving and O’Rielly passing and probing. The Saints striker is usually a bull in search of a china shop and he left a few cracks on the Hearts backline last Friday, when the Jambos sneaked a win with a little help from a brutally harsh VAR non penalty call. Celtic kept on it and David Turnbull made it 4-0 with a pearler from long range. Boss Steven Robinson lost Mark O’Hara but it was a major boost having Dunne out of the bad books and in the side. It's the time of year when a team sheet can turn into a game of Cluedo, with fans left guessing about the fates of certain players. There are easier introductions than a run out against Curtis Main mind you. Liel Abada was on hand to slot home after Trevor Carson denied debutant Yuki Kobayashi and Carl Starfelt. It turned out it was the treatment table instead – at least for now.