Celtic are flirting with crisis ahead of a tricky home encounter against Aberdeen on Saturday.
Although they moved through to the League Cup semi-finals by beating St Johnstone in midweek, they are in the unfamiliar position of sixth in the Scottish Premiership standings, six points off the pace of leaders Hearts.
While they remain favourites to win the title, they have given themselves a great deal of work to do and failure to beat the Dons would only increase the pressure on Brendan Rodgers and his Bhoys.
| Game | Celtic vs Aberdeen |
| Date | Saturday, September 29 |
| Time | 3pm BST / 10am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US) the game will not be available to watch live on television; however, it will be available to stream to subscribers of Celtic TV.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | Celtic TV |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the will not be available to watch on television or live streamed.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Celtic squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gordon, Bain, Hazard |
| Defenders | Hendry, Simunovic, Gamboa, Boyata, Benkovic, Lustig, Ajer, Ralston, Tierney, Izaguirre |
| Midfielders | Brown, Sinclair, Hayes, Morgan, Christie, Rogic, Ntcham, Mulumbu, McGregor, Forrest, Eboue, Arzani |
| Forwards | Griffiths, Edouard, Johnston |
Nir Bitton and Jozo Simunovic are both missing for Celtic, while Kristoffer Ajer’s absence, expected to be between four and six weeks, increases the headaches for Rodgers in the heart of the defence. Filip Benkovic is also doubtful.
Leigh Griffiths should lead the line.
Possible Celtic XI: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Hendry, Tierney; Brown, Ntcham; Forrest, Rogic, Edouard; Griffiths
| Position | Aberdeen squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lewis, Cerny |
| Defenders | McKenna, Hoban, Reynolds, Devlin, Ball, Shinnie, Considine, Lowe, Logan |
| Midfielders | Gleeson, Tansey, Ferguson, Makay-Steven, Forrester |
| Forwards | McGinn, Wilson, May, Wright, Cosgrove, Anderson |
Aberdeen have a number of selection problems, too. Mark Reynolds and Tommie Hoban are both missing in the defence, while the midfield will be bereft of Greg Tansey and Scott Wright. Promising youngster Lewis Ferguson is a further worry.
On-loan Manchester United forward James Wilson should feature.
Possible Aberdeen XI: Lewis; Logan, Devlin, McKenna, Considine; Mackay-Steven, Forrester, Shinnie, McGinn; May, Wilson
Betting & Match Odds
Despite their indifferent form, Celtic are 2/5 favourites at bet 365. Aberdeen can be backed at 7/1, while the draw is 7/2.
Match Preview
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To say it has been an indifferent start to the season for Celtic would be a huge understatement. Brendan Rodgers’ side started the season as red-hot favourites to win another title but are instead mired in the middle of the table after six games, with newly promoted Livingston among the teams ahead of them.
Last weekend, they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Kilmarnock, conceding a goal in the final minute having previously led the encounter at half-time
While they made partial amends in midweek by progressing to the League Cup semi-final, their 1-0 victory over St Johnstone was hardly the type of performance to get pulses racing.
Their immediate target, though, has to be stabilising their position in the league.
Aberdeen are another side who have failed to live up to expectations this season, with Derek McInnes’ side actually one place below the Parkhead side ahead of the weekend. Their lack of goals has been their biggest issue, with only five scored.
Nevertheless, they can travel to Glasgow’s east end with more expectation than usual as they aim to replicate the 1-0 victory they enjoyed at Celtic Park in May, when Andrew Considine’s goal gave them the victory.
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