After being last up on Easter Sunday, Celtic are among the first of the title challengers to play this weekend.
Martin O’Neill‘s men welcome St Mirren to Parkhead for part one of a double header with the Buddies.
While the Premiership goes into cold storage next weekend before the post-split carnage begins, the two teams will do battle at Hampden for a place in the Scottish Cup Final.
But three Premiership points are the immediate priority, and Celtic could go top if Hearts lose at home to Motherwell, although it would also depend on how big Celts’ margin of victory is.
Juan Araujo is out for the season as has returned to Bournemouth, but O’Neill hinted that Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston could be involved at Hampden, while Callum Osmand is fit again.
Craig McLeish has vowed to make himself impossible for club chiefs to ignore when it comes to appointing a permanent boss in the summer.
A 2-0 win over Aberdeen and former gaffer Stephen Robinson last weekend helped but the paisley outfit are still only three points above Kilmarnock in the relegation playoff spot.
A good showing in Glasgow would also fuel belief for next week’s Hampden encounter.
Celtic: Sinisalo, Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney, Nygren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, McGregor, Yang, Cvancara, Maeda.
Subs: Doohan, McCowan, Iheanacho, Tounekti, Engels, Saracchi, Hatate, Arthur, Forrest.
St Mirren: George, Gogic, Freckleton,Donnelly, O’Hara, Campbell, Phillips, Devaney, John, Ayunga, Mandron.
Subs: Mullen, Richardson, King, Tanswe, Idowu, McMenamin, Douglas, Etete. Young.
We’ll have all the build-up, action and reaction LIVE right here on the blog.
