Kilmarnock vs Celtic – Match preview and team news

Celtic is set to face Kilmarnock in matchday two of the new Scottish Premiership season on Sunday, away from home.

Kilmarnock vs Celtic – Match preview and team news

• Date: Sunday, 9th August.
• Kick-off: 1:30pm BST.
• Venue: The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland.

Kilmarnock team news

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes faces notable selection dilemmas ahead of this weekend’s clash.

Defender Robbie Deas remains completely unavailable for selection as he serves the second match of his two-game suspension carried over from last season.

Adding to the squad’s defensive absences, Djenairo Daniels is ruled out of contention entirely due to an ongoing knee injury.

In brighter news for the home side, forward Tyreece John-Jules has been fully cleared to play and is available after successfully recovering from a facial knock sustained against St Johnstone last week.

His return provides a timely boost to Kilmarnock’s attacking options. Furthermore, former Rangers youngster Johnly Yfeko is pushing hard in training and could be handed his full debut in the defensive line.

McInnes will rely on this reshuffled backline to contain a potent opposition attack on Rugby Park’s brand-new hybrid surface.

Celtic team news

Celtic travel to Rugby Park dealing with key absences both on the pitch and potentially in the dugout.

Reliable defender Liam Scales is unavailable for selection as he serves the final game of his two-match disciplinary suspension.

In the attacking department, Jota has finally returned to light training following a long-term ACL injury, but the winger remains several weeks away from returning to competitive match action.

Meanwhile, manager Martin O’Neill may miss being physically present in the dugout after undergoing a minor hospital operation earlier in the week.

Assistant coach Shaun Maloney is fully prepared to guide the side from the touchline if required. Despite these disruptions, the reigning champions boast a deeply talented squad.

New signing Kasper Høgh are expected to step into the starting lineup, ensuring the visitors maintain their high tactical intensity.

Form

Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock enter the match seeking their first points of the new campaign. Their season opened with a chaotic 4-3 away defeat against St Johnstone, where goals from Joe Hugill and Greg Kiltie were undone by defensive errors. Stretching back to last season’s struggles, Kilmarnock have now failed to win their opening league fixture for three consecutive years. They are desperate to steady the ship and halt an eight-game losing streak against Celtic.

Celtic

Reigning champions Celtic began their title defence with a narrow but controlled 1-0 victory over Dundee at Celtic Park on Monday night. Midfielder Benjamin Nygren netted the decisive winner to secure all three points. This opening triumph successfully extended Celtic’s impressive domestic winning streak to eight consecutive Scottish Premiership matches. Historically dominant in this fixture, the Hoops have also won their last four consecutive visits to Rugby Park.

Predicted lineups

Kilmarnock: Stryjek; Brandon, Brown, Stanger, Schjonning-Larsen; Kiltie, Rice, O’Hara, Cleescenco; Owen, Hugill

Celtic: Sinisalo; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; Engels, McGregor; Duran, Nygren, Hyun-Jun; Hogh

How to watch Kilmarnock vs Celtic?

You can watch the Kilmarnock vs Celtic match live on Sky Sports.

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube