St Johnstone vs Celtic

ST Johnstone host reigning champions Celtic in a rescheduled Scottish Premiership encounter at McDiarmid Park in Perth on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. Both teams return to league action looking to secure vital points as a busy autumn schedule begins to take shape across Scotland.

Team News and Injury Latest

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill is managing a growing list of absences ahead of this midweek fixture. Left-back Kieran Tierney and Danish forward Kasper Høgh are ruled out after sustaining abductor injuries. Young striker Callum Osmand faces several weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a non-contact ankle injury against Falkirk, which left him departing Celtic Park on crutches. Long-term absentees Alistair Johnston, Jota, and Reo Hatate remain unavailable.

On a more positive note, midfield additions have bolstered the visiting squad. Oliver Sørensen is available following his loan move from Parma, while goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has arrived from Wolves to compete with Viljami Sinisalo. PSV Eindhoven's Joel van den Berg and Chelsea loanee Shim Mheuka have also joined the club to provide much-needed squad depth. For the hosts, ST Johnstone will look to utilise their home advantage and field a settled side to test the league leaders.

Celtic Form Guide

Celtic have enjoyed an immaculate start to their domestic campaign. The Glasgow club secured five consecutive victories across the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish League Cup, including a dominant 5-1 win over Kilmarnock. Despite their flawless domestic form, the squad is recovering from the disappointment of elimination from the Champions League qualifying stage by Austrian club LASK. This result means Celtic will compete in the Europa League this season, with a fixture against Ferencvaros on the horizon.

ST Johnstone Form Guide

ST Johnstone enter this fixture aiming to find consistency in the early stages of the Premiership season. The Perth side showed their goalscoring potential earlier in the campaign during an action-packed 4-3 victory over Kilmarnock. Facing the reigning champions at McDiarmid Park represents their toughest defensive test of the season so far, and the hosts will need to be at their absolute best to limit Celtic's attacking threat.

Key Battle: Midfield Control and Service

With several key attackers missing for Celtic, the tactical battle in the centre of the pitch will be decisive. Celtic captain Callum McGregor, who recently recovered from a sickness bug, will be tasked with controlling the tempo alongside new signing Oliver Sørensen. ST Johnstone's midfield unit must disrupt this partnership to prevent service reaching forward Camilo Durán, who is expected to lead the line for the visitors. If the hosts can successfully break up play in transition, they will limit the champions' ability to dominate possession.

This match marks the beginning of a heavily congested period for Celtic, who face six matches in 18 days across domestic and European fronts. For ST Johnstone, securing a positive result at McDiarmid Park would provide a massive boost of confidence before their upcoming league fixtures.