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Celtic welcome Kilmarnock to Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon, looking to finish a testing run of fixtures with three points before the international break.
Martin O’Neill’s side bounced back from last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Falkirk by beating Beşiktaş 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday night, with Camilo Durán scoring twice off the bench.
Rangers’ 2-0 win at St Mirren on Saturday night cut Celtic’s lead at the top to a single point, with both sides on 12 games. Kilmarnock arrive bottom of the table.
Here is everything you need to know before kick-off.
Celtic host Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on Sunday, November 8, with kick-off at 4pm UK time.
It is Celtic’s last game before the November international break.
The match has not been picked for live coverage by Sky Sports and does not appear in UK television listings.
The game is on a CelticPlayer pay-per-view pass for supporters in the UK and Ireland, costing £9.99 for CelticPlayer subscribers and £12.99 for everyone else, according to Celtic Shorts. Coverage starts at 3.30pm with Gerry McCulloch and Peter Grant.
Subscribers outside the UK and Ireland can watch the game live on CelticPlayer as part of their package.
Our Celtic on TV guide has the broadcast details for every upcoming game.
Cameron Carter-Vickers is the main worry. He was taken off after 78 minutes against Beşiktaş, and O’Neill explained afterwards: “He was complaining about his hamstrings being very tight at half-time and I thought we would give him another 15 minutes.” Dane Murray replaced him and would be the obvious option if he misses out.
Kieran Tierney shook off the knocks he took at Falkirk and started on Thursday.
Jota could return. The winger was kept away from Falkirk’s artificial surface as a precaution, with O’Neill explaining after the game that there was nothing wrong.
“No, he’s well. He’s just back, obviously, from injury.”
Celtic Park’s grass pitch removes that concern, and Jota is eligible for domestic games despite his absence from the Europa League squad. Hyun-jun Yang also missed Thursday’s game, and Celtic Shorts reports both are fit for Sunday.
Alistair Johnston is still out with a leg injury. Auston Trusty wasn’t in the squad on Thursday, while Oliver Sørensen was back on the bench.
Durán is pushing for a start after his double against Beşiktaş. “At this minute, he is on fire,” O’Neill said on Friday, according to The Celtic Star, though he added: “I don’t know what side we will play on Sunday.”
Neil McCann’s side are bottom of the Premiership, with nine points from 12 games. They have won two, drawn three and lost seven, and the 28 goals they have conceded is the worst record in the league.
Their form has not improved much lately. A win over Motherwell has been followed by defeats to Falkirk and Dundee and a draw with 10-man St Johnstone.
McCann wants his players to stand up to it. “Every player has just got to be brave,” he told BBC Sport. “And that’s where we’ve got to go to Celtic Park and really show our personality.”
Maksymilian Stryjek is still out with a knee injury, according to our match centre data.
John Beaton will referee the match, with Grant Irvine on VAR. David Roome and Gordon McCabe are the assistants, Dan McFarlane is assistant VAR and Colin Steven is fourth official. .
Celtic won 5-1 at Rugby Park on August 9, their first away game of the league season.
Kasper Høgh scored a first-half hat-trick. Benjamin Nygren made it 4-0 early in the second half, and Luke McCowan added the fifth after Kilmarnock had pulled one back.
After Sunday, the squad breaks up for international duty. Celtic’s next game is at home to St Mirren on Saturday, November 21, at 3pm.