Celtic will hope to go into the international break with back-to-back wins when they face Kilmarnock on Sunday.

An epic 3-2 victory against Besiktas was the shot in the arm that Martin O’Neill’s side needed following a sub-standard performance in the thumping away to Falkirk.

The substitutes were the difference makers in the Europa League and they will almost certainly earn starts, while this weekend represents the perfect time for Jota to come back into the starting XI.

Jota should start for Celtic against Kilmarnock

After O’Neill opted not to risk Jota on Falkirk’s plastic pitch and registration rules preventing him from featuring against Besiktas, there is no better time to hand Jota his first start of the season.

All four of his appearances have come off the bench, which is to be expected after an 18-month lay-off. However, with an international break coming up, there is no better time.

Kilmarnock are struggling in the Scottish Premiership and the Hoops will almost certainly have a lot of the ball, meaning he can do what he does best. Even if the winger plays 60-75 minutes, that would be huge progress.

Elsewhere, matchwinner Camilo Duran comes in for Kasper Hogh down the middle. Hogh was let down by his teammates on Thursday night, but the stats don’t lie and Duran was more effective.

Callum Osmand also returns in place of Sebastian Tounekti, who was met with cheers when he was subbed off while Colby Donovan replaces Jordan Lotomba, who gave away a penalty on his first start for the club.

Back-to-back wins would ease the pressure on O’Neill and provide a crumb of positivity before returning for the end of 2026.