Bhoys to Bounce Back for Saints Visit

Bhoys to Bounce Back for Saints' Visit
~~~~~~~~~~ Official TC Match Preview ~~~~~~~~~~


Kyogo set up one goal & scored another in the 4-1 win when the sides last meet, back in February


Celtic Park, Glasgow
Saturday, 26 August 2023
15.00 BST

The Hoops return to League action and will be looking to bounce back when they welcome the visit of St Johnstone to Paradise tomorrow.

That all said, Celtic should be confident of a return to winning ways, as they have been undefeated in this fixture since 2016 and have won each of the last 8 meetings between these sides.

However, there is no escaping the fact there are problems at both ends of the pitch that need to be addressed, after the underwhelming performance and 1-0 loss away at Kilmarnock in the League Cup, last week.

Firstly, the Bhoys have yet to keep a clean sheet this season and while this is in no small part due to so many injuries to key defemders, a lot of responsibility will now be on Joe Hart's shoulders in particular, to use his vast experience in marshalling and cajoling the men in front of him.

Meanwhile, what's equally concerning is that, despite Celtic dominating possession, the failure to translate this into much in the way of genuine pressure on the Kilmarnock goal. While it is admirable to be able to control much of the play, it doesn't count for a great deal if it there is no end product to go with it.

With such a big game looming next week, there is the temptation to have one eye already drift in that direction, but given theses concerns, all eyes will be on Saturday's performance for it's own sake, to see what steps have been taken to correct these, as much as it is the last chance to tune up, ahead of next week's Glasgow derby.



Joe Hart needs to step up and use his experience to help organize the makeshift Celtic defence

On the other side of things, St Johnstone are equally desperate to get a result this weekend. having lost every competitive game this season, save for one win; against League One outfit, Alloa Athletic, in the League Cup group phase.

When Steven MacLean took over from Callum Davidson earlier this year, he was able to successfully guide the Perth side out of the wobbles they were going through, and eventually hitting a rich vein of form after the split, by winning 4 of their final 5 fixtures, which ensured their Premiership status.

However, that form has not transitioned to this new campaign.

The visitors arrive for this game on the back of 4 straight losses, including a number of heavy defeats which saw them eliminated in the League Cup group stages last month, followed by 2-0 defeats at the hands of both Hearts and then Ross County in the first 2 rounds of the League.

Suffice to say, there is every indication of difficult times that lie ahead for MacLean's side, as many have predicted for this season. However, it is far too long a season to write anyone off this early and given the precarious nature of the Celtic's defensive situation, nothing can be taken for granted here.


Liam Scales will likely be given the opportunity to start after impressing in pre-season

By the Numbers​

• Celtic are undefeated by St Johnstone since May 2016 & have won the last 8 meetings on-the-trot.

• The Bhoys have kept just 6 clean sheets in the past 22 games across all competitions, since early February - and are yet to keep one this season.

• Saints' have lost their last 4 straight games across the League and League Cup, including having not scored a goal in more than 5 hours of play and conceded 9 times in that period.

• Should Celtic defeat St Johnstone on Saturday, it will be the worst start to a League season for the Perth outfit, irrespective of division, since 2004/05.

Reo Hatate scored against the Saints in December 2022, but will miss this clash through injury

Team News

To say the least, Brendan Rodgers has some worries when it comes to team selection, with a growing list of those who will be unavailable through injury going into this weekend, especially in regards to the defence. So much so, the Irishman has spoken of potentially having to make an additional signing before the window closes, next week.

Central defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers (hamstrong), Maik Nawrocki (hamstring) and Stephen Welsh (ankle) have all been ruled out for the next couple of months while Yuki Kobayashi remians out with an ankle problem.

The situation is further compounded by the absence of midfielder Reo Hatate and striker Oh Hyeon-gyu, both contending with calf strains, while winger Mikey Johnston (back) is also sidelined.

Thankfully, Alistair Johnston and Marco Tillo have resumed training but whether they will be risked this early in their road to recovery remains a question for the manager. In the meantime, Tomoki Iwata could be drafted in to provide some cover at the back.

Considering the significantly depleted situation in defence, it is likely to see new signing Gustav Lagerbielke partner with Liam Scales (probably), as the Irish defender impressed while on loan at Aberdeen last season, and was singled out for his efforts in pre-season.

As for the Perthshire outfit, they are without Callum Booth, Nicky Clark, Ali Crawford and Tony Gallacher, all of whom are yet to feature since the League started, and only Gallacher has been involved in more than a single game.

However, there could be debuts for defender Luke Robinson, 22, who joined on a season-long loan from Wigan earlier this week, as did Jay Turner-Cooke, 19, a midfielder also on a season long loan, from Newcastle Utd.​

Referee: Matthew MacDermid

The 30yr old has taken charge of 12 Premiership games since making his debut at this level in May 2022, but this will be the first time officiating a match involving Celtic in either League or Cup competition.

Celtic's Overall Record
M: 0 W: 0 D: 0 L: 0

VAR: Andrew Dallas​

~~~~ Head to Head ~~~~

Overall
P: 223 W: 134 D: 53 L: 36​

Last 5 Meetings
W W W W W

~~~~ 2023/24 Form ~~~~ ​

Overall
L W W ~ L L L L W

SPFL
W W ~ L L​