Preview: St Johnstone vs. Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts currently sit in the relegation zone, just a single point off the foot of the table, adding plenty of pressure onto this fixture.

Match preview

St Johnstone have had a tough campaign so far, securing just two victories from their opening 13 matches to this point.

It has left the Saints in 11th place, and considering they are only a single point above Livingston at the moment there is very little room for error heading into this weekend.

Craig Levein had made a positive impact since being named manager by guiding his team to a draw and a victory, but that undefeated run was brought to an abrupt end last weekend.

St Johnstone's struggles in front of goal continued to be a problem for them as they were unable to find the back of the net against Hearts as they were eventually beaten 1-0.

Scoring is something that Levein must get his team doing moving forward as they have only done so eight times throughout the season, the worst attacking record in the division.

That could be a tricky task to achieve this weekend though considering the fact Celtic have the second-best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership so far, only conceding eight goals.

The Hoops are not letting that defensive structure impact their offensive style of play though as no teams have scored more than them, and that combination will cause problems for St Johnstone.

Celtic might be undefeated in the league, but they do head into this weekend on the back of a midweek defeat in the UEFA Champions League, which they will now attempt to put behind them.

Lazio secured a comfortable 2-0 win against the Hoops, and the key for Brendan Rodgers will now be to create an instant reaction due to the fact his team is not used to losing this season.

Celtic have created a healthy eight-point gap at the top of the table between themselves and Rangers, but maintaining or extending that will be the aim this weekend, especially since the Gers have played one game less than them.

St Johnstone Scottish Premiership form:

D

L

W

D

W

L

Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

W

D

W

W

W

D

Celtic form (all competitions):

W

W

L

W

D

L

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Team News

James Brown, Graham Carey and Nicky Clark all missed out on a place in the matchday squad last weekend for St Johnstone, and that is something that could continue in this match.

The experience of Stevie May was brought into the team for the fixture against Hearts, and he could find himself lining up alongside Christopher Kane once again this time out.

Luis Palma will once again be available for Celtic this weekend after he had to miss out in midweek due to suspension, and that could see him slot back into the team.

The Hoops do have some injury problems to deal with though as Reo Hatate is out with a hamstring problem while Liel Abada has a thigh issue which are set to rule both men out.

St Johnstone possible starting lineup:

Mitov; McGowan, Gordon, Considine; Robinson, Costelloe, Phillips, Kucheriavyi, Smith; Kane, May

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Hart; A. Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; O'Riley, McGregor, Turnbull; Yang, M. Johnston; Furuhashi

We say: St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic

St Johnstone have improved their performances as of late throughout this season, but this particular fixture could be a tough test for them.

Celtic will be out to immediately get back to winning ways, and their quality will likely be too much in this fixture.

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