St Mirren vs Celtic: Unbeaten Saints Face League Leaders

St Mirren come into this one unbeaten, confident, and badly bruised by the injury list.

Craig McLeish has a title race to chase and a midfield to rebuild. Killian Phillips is out with a shin injury, ruled unavailable for Celtic’s visit, though the club expects him back on the grass in light training next week. Liam Donnelly’s abductor problem and Malik Dijksteel’s hamstring strain strip more steel from the centre of the pitch, leaving the spine of the side thinner than McLeish would like on a night like this.

Then there’s Jonah Ayunga. The long‑term absentee remains a major miss, his recovery timetable pushing any return back to January. It all adds up to a squad that looks light where it matters most.

So McLeish turns to what he has. Jacob Chapman is set to start in goal, shielded by a reshaped back four that should feature Alexandros Gogic and Henry Fieldson at its heart. Around them, the manager must improvise and trust the form that has carried them here.

And that form is no small thing. Ten points from four league games, just two off the top, and a response that says plenty about their character after a heavy League Cup defeat to Rangers. A wild 3-3 draw with Motherwell underlined both their attacking ambition and defensive vulnerability, but the 1-0 away win at Kilmarnock that followed was the kind of gritty, controlled performance of a side that believes it belongs in the conversation at the sharp end of the table.

Celtic will test that belief like no one else has yet.

Celtic’s defensive headache

At the other end of the tunnel, Celtic arrive as leaders, flawless in the league, and patched together at the back.

Martin O’Neill’s main problem sits at left-back. Kieran Tierney, Kasper Høgh and Callum Osmand are all out with thigh or ankle issues, stripping Celtic of natural balance on that flank. The situation worsened when Chelsea loanee Landon Emenalo picked up a training injury, delaying his debut and removing another option from O’Neill’s board.

The damage doesn’t stop there. Alistair Johnston is sidelined until October with a fresh knock, while Jota continues his recovery from a long-term knee problem. For a side that thrives on width and rhythm, those are heavy absences.

So Liam Scales is expected to plug the gap at left-back again, asked to lock down his side while Celtic continue to chase perfection in the Premiership. Up front, Camilo Durán is poised to lead the line, the focal point of an attack that has already scored 11 league goals this season.

There is at least some light for O’Neill. Late-window arrivals Joël van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba have both been cleared to play and are available for selection. Whether they start or come from the bench, their presence hands the manager fresh tools on a night when his back line badly needs reinforcement.

Form guide: unbeaten against relentless

St Mirren’s league form reads like a statement. Unbeaten. Ten points from twelve. Their early surge has dragged them into the title picture, even if it’s too early to talk in absolutes. The heavy Rangers defeat in the League Cup stung, but domestically they have answered every question since, mixing chaos with control, goals with grit.

Celtic, though, set the pace. Four league wins from four. Eleven scored, two conceded. They dispatched Aberdeen 3-0 with authority, then dug deep to edge Falkirk 2-1, showing they can dominate and they can grind. The only real bruise on their recent record came in Europe, where LASK knocked them out of UEFA Champions League qualifying after extra time. Domestically, they have not blinked.

That’s the backdrop: Saints unbeaten, Celtic relentless. Something has to give.

Predicted lineups

• St Mirren (expected): Chapman; Ramsay, Gogic, Fieldson, John; Nsio, Carr; Mochrie, Taylor, Kabia; Agrafiotis
• Celtic (expected): Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Scales; McGregor; Hassan, Nygren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hyun-Jun; Duran

Under the lights in Paisley

Sky Sports Football will have the cameras in Paisley, but the real focus sits in the middle of the park, where St Mirren’s patched-up core must go toe-to-toe with the league leaders’ engine room.

Celtic’s perfect start, St Mirren’s unbeaten run, injuries everywhere you look. Something gives at The Marbill Coaches Stadium on Saturday night – the only question is whether it’s Celtic’s grip on top spot or St Mirren’s belief that they can stay in this title race for the long haul.