Scottish Premiership Match Previews, Team News, Live On Sky Sports

Team news, stats and predictions for the latest round of the Scottish Premiership, as Celtic host Dundee United on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

Aberdeen vs St Mirren, Saturday, 3pm

Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass will select from the same group of players that defeated Livingston for the clash with St Mirren.

That means midfielder Dylan McGeouch remains out with a calf injury, along with Matty Kennedy.

Defenders Jack MacKenzie, Calvin Ramsay, Declan Gallagher, Mikey Devlin and Andy Considine are all still sidelined.

St Mirren captain Joe Shaughnessy will return against the Dons.

The central defender sat out the midweek draw with Ross County through suspension.

Another centre-back, Conor McCarthy, remains on the sidelines following ankle surgery.

Opta stats

Aberdeen are unbeaten in 12 home league matches against St. Mirren (W5 D7) since a 0-1 loss in May 2011 under Craig Brown.
St. Mirren won their last league match against Aberdeen 3-2 in September; they haven’t won consecutive such meetings with them since July 2011 (three in a row).
Aberdeen have won three of their last four home league games (L1), as many as their previous 13 such matches beforehand (W3 D5 L5).
St. Mirren haven’t lost back-to-back away league matches since a run of three from August to October 2020, a run which included a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen.
St. Mirren have made fewer starting XI changes to their Scottish Premiership starting XIs than any other club this season (22), with only Dundee (21) and Hearts (20) using fewer players in the competition overall this campaign than the Buddies (22).

How to follow: Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.

Hibernian vs Motherwell, Saturday, 3pm

Hibs striker Christian Doidge is set to return from a two-game suspension for the visit of Motherwell as long as he is fully recovered from a minor bout of illness that kept him out of a friendly game in midweek.

Kyle Magennis is still absent with a groin problem, but Hibs are hopeful he will be back in action before Christmas.

Sean Mackie, Daniel MacKay and Melker Hallberg are short of match fitness after their respective injury lay-offs.

Motherwell defender Sondre Solholm Johansen has a chance of featuring at Easter Road after going off with cramp in the midweek win over Dundee United.

Midfielder Barry Maguire is suspended following his late red card.

Robbie Crawford, Liam Donnelly, Mark O’Hara and Juhani Ojala missed out against United but manager Graham Alexander is starting to get some of his injured players back in training.

Opta stats

● In Hibernian’s last seven league meetings with Motherwell, they have either scored exactly three goals (three times) or failed to score at all (four times), winning three of these matches (D2 L2).

● Motherwell have only won one of their last eight visits to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership (D3 L4), although that was their last such trip in February of last season, a 2-0 win.

● Hibernian have lost six of their last seven league games (W1), including each of their last three at home. Hibs haven’t lost four consecutive home matches in the top-flight since August 2011 under Colin Calderwood.

● Motherwell have lost three of their last four away league games (W1), as many as their previous 13 such outings before this (W5 D5 L3).

● Tony Watt’s eight league goals for Motherwell this season have been worth 10 points – the most of any player’s goals for any side in this season’s Scottish Premiership. Watt has now scored more Scottish top-flight league goals for Motherwell (12) than each of the previous three clubs he appeared for in the division beforehand (11 combined for St. Johnstone, 3, Hearts, 1, and Celtic, 7).

How to follow: Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.

Rangers vs Dundee, Saturday, 3pm

Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack will return to the Rangers squad for this weekend’s cinch Premiership encounter with Dundee.

The midfielder has not featured under Giovanni van Bronckhorst after returning from a long-term calf injury last month.

Leon Balogun will miss out again with a knock but is close to returning, while Filip Helander (knee) and Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart issue) are also still sidelined.

Dundee are set to welcome Jordan McGhee back into the squad after he missed the last two matches following minor knee surgery.

Defender Lee Ashcroft is still absent with the hamstring injury he sustained against Motherwell last weekend.

Alex Jakubiak (shoulder) and Shaun Byrne (knee) remain out but are both progressing well in their recovery bids.

Opta stats

● Rangers have won each of their last 12 top-flight home games against Dundee since a 0-2 defeat in March 2001 under Dick Advocaat. The Gers have scored 37 goals in this run of 12 wins, conceding just four.

● Promoted sides are winless in their last 16 league away games against reigning Scottish champions (D5 L11), with the last to win such a match being Hamilton in October 2014, a 1-0 win over Celtic.

● This will be Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first home league game in charge of Rangers. Each of the club’s last four managers (excl. second spells) won their first Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox with the side, with the last to fail to do so being Mark Warburton in August 2016, a 1-1 draw with Hamilton in what was the club’s first game back in the top-flight since promotion from the Championship.

● Dundee have won back-to-back Scottish Premiership matches for the first time since May 2018, while they haven’t won three in a row in the competition since November 2014.

● Four of Kemar Roofe’s last five Scottish Premiership goals have come in matches that Rangers have won by just one goal, including his penalty against Hibernian last time out.

How to follow: Follow the action with our dedicated live match blog, with free match highlights published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.

St Johnstone vs Ross County, Saturday, 3pm

St Johnstone midfielder Craig Bryson returns from suspension for Saturday’s cinch Premiership match against Ross County at McDiarmid Park.

Attacker Glenn Middleton has recovered from a hamstring injury but midfielder Murray Davidson is out with a knock.

Callum Davidson will assess a couple of other players who have niggles from the midweek defeat to Dundee while Stevie May (knee) and David Wotherspoon (knee) are long-term absentees for Saints.

Ross County will be without Alex Iacovitti for the trip to Perth.

The defender went off with a hamstring injury during the midweek draw with St Mirren.

Full-back Harry Clarke returns from suspension.

Opta stats

● St. Johnstone have only lost one of their last 12 league meetings with Ross County, although eight of these matches have been drawn (W3).

● Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Ross County v St. Johnstone has seen more draws than any other Scottish Premiership fixture (eight in 11 games).

● Since beating Ross County 1-0 in March, St. Johnstone have only won one of their last 11 home league games (D5 L5), beating newly promoted Dundee 3-1 in October.

● Having only picked up three points in their opening 10 league games of this season (D3 L7), Ross County have since taken eight from the last 15 available to them (W2 D2 L1).

● St. Johnstone have lost 10 points from leading positions at home in the Scottish Premiership this season, more than any other side on home soil.

How to follow: Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.

Dundee United vs Celtic, Sunday, 12pm, live on Sky Sports Football

Dundee United’s Calum Butcher returns for the visit of Celtic on Sunday after serving a two-game ban.

Fellow midfielders Jeando Fuchs and Dylan Levitt are pushing for inclusion as they recover from knocks.

Right-back Liam Smith (knee) and striker Marc McNulty (hamstring) are working their way back to fitness.

Celtic will assess Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh and Jota after all three went off injured against Hearts on Thursday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers will return after missing the 1-0 victory because of a personal issue but Giorgos Giakoumakis faces another two or three weeks out after minor knee surgery.

Long-term absentees Christopher Jullien (knee) and Karamoko Dembele (ankle) remain out while Greg Taylor is due to return next week following shoulder surgery.

Opta stats

● Dundee United have won just three of their last 64 league meetings with Celtic (D13 L48), although each of those three victories have come at home (November 2009, May 2012 and December 2014).

● Dundee United have drawn both of their last two league games against Celtic; the Celts haven’t failed to win three straight league meetings with the Tangerines since March 2009 – a run of three draws.

● Dundee United have won five of their seven home league matches this season (L2), just one fewer than they managed in the entirety of last season on home soil (P19 W6 D6 L7).

● Celtic have won each of their last four away league games, last having a longer winning run on the road from October 2019 to February 2020 (run of nine).

● Dundee United have scored just one goal in the opening 30 minutes of Scottish Premiership games this season, fewer than any other side. However, that goal was scored against Celtic in September by Ian Harkes (18th minute).

How to follow: Watch Dundee United vs Celtic live on Sky Sports Football from 11am on Sunday; kick-off 12pm. Follow the action with our dedicated live match blog including in-game clips, with free match highlights published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.

Livingston vs Hearts, Sunday, 3pm

Livingston left-back Jackson Longridge is suspended for the cinch Premiership clash with Hearts.

Longridge drops out after picking up two yellow cards at Pittodrie on Wednesday night.

Scott Pittman and Sean Kelly are closing in on returns while Adam Lewis (foot) and Daniel Barden (illness) are long-term absentees.

Hearts will again be without Beni Baningime with an ankle injury.

Midfielder Andy Halliday dropped out of the squad for Thursday’s narrow defeat by Celtic.

Liam Boyce could return to the starting line-up after coming off the bench at Parkhead.

Opta stats

● This will be Livingston’s first home league meeting with Hearts since a goalless draw in October 2019. The Lions have won both of their last two home league fixtures versus promoted clubs, beating Ross County in December 2019 and Dundee United in December 2020.

● Hearts have only lost one of their last 18 top-flight league matches against Livingston (W9 D8), a 5-0 defeat away from home in December 2018.

● Livingston have won just one of their last nine home league matches (D2 L6), a 1-0 win over Celtic in September.

● Hearts have only won one of their last 14 Scottish Premiership away games played on a Sunday (D3 L10), a 2-1 victory over Hibernian in September 2019.

● Just three of Livingston’s 12 league goals this season have been scored after half-time (25%), the outright lowest ratio and joint-lowest total (St. Johnstone also three) in the 2021-22 Scottish Premiership.

How to follow: Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.