St Mirren vs Celtic: Midfield Battle in Paisley
St Mirren have started this Premiership campaign with a spring in their step and a snarl in their tackles. Ten points from twelve, unbeaten, and just two points off the top. On paper, they look ready for anyone.
On the teamsheet, it’s a different story.
Craig McLeish walks into this one with his midfield stripped back. Killian Phillips is out with a shin injury, ruled out of the Celtic clash but close enough to a return that the club expects him back in light grass work next week. Liam Donnelly is still working his way back from an abductor problem, while Malik Dijksteel’s hamstring keeps him in the treatment room.
That’s three key bodies missing from the centre of the pitch on a night when the ball will spend a lot of time there.
Long-term absentee Jonah Ayunga remains a major miss, his recovery timeline still pointing to January before he can be considered again. It leaves McLeish short of options and long on problems in the most important area of the park.
So the shape shifts. Jacob Chapman is set to start in goal, with a reworked backline in front of him that should feature Alexandros Gogic and Henry Fieldson. St Mirren will need that defensive spine to be sharp. Celtic have been ruthless in the league, and any looseness will be punished.
Still, this is a Saints side that has shown character. They came out of a bruising League Cup hammering by Rangers and responded with steel in the Premiership. A wild 3-3 draw with Motherwell underlined both their threat and their vulnerability, but the reaction was exactly what McLeish wanted: a hard-fought 1-0 away win at Kilmarnock to keep them locked into the early title conversation.
Now comes the real measuring stick.
Celtic’s left-back headache
Celtic arrive in Paisley as league leaders and with a perfect domestic record. Four games, four wins, eleven goals scored, just two conceded. They swept aside Aberdeen 3-0, then dug deep to edge Falkirk 2-1. The Champions League qualifying exit to LASK in extra time stung, but inside Scotland, they’ve been relentless.
Yet Martin O’Neill’s team sheet tells a story of its own – and it starts at left-back.
Kieran Tierney, Kasper Høgh and Callum Osmand are all out, dealing with a mix of thigh and ankle problems. The position has turned into a puzzle O’Neill must keep solving week after week. The latest piece that was supposed to help, Chelsea loanee Landon Emenalo, has picked up a training injury and is not ready to debut.
Alistair Johnston is another name on the unavailable list, ruled out until October with a fresh setback, while Jota continues his recovery from a long-term knee issue.
So the solution, once again, is Liam Scales. The defender is expected to plug the gap on the left, a role he knows but one that clearly stems from necessity rather than luxury. Ahead of him, the attack looks far more settled. Camilo Durán is poised to lead the line, with Celtic’s creative options asked to keep the domestic momentum rolling.
There is some good news. Late-window arrivals Joël van den Berg and Jordan Lotomba are both cleared to play and could feature. O’Neill suddenly has fresh legs to call on, even if his back four still feels like a patched-up operation.
Form lines and fault lines
The clash in Paisley pits two in-form sides against each other, but they come at it from different angles.
St Mirren are punching up. They’ve taken the hit from that Rangers defeat and used it as fuel. Ten points from their first four league matches has them lurking just behind Celtic, and the sense around McLeish’s squad is that they’re not here to make up the numbers.
Celtic, by contrast, are defending their perch. The Champions League disappointment against LASK exposed frailties under pressure, yet domestically they’ve been clinical. Eleven goals for, two against – numbers that speak to control and cutting edge.
The question is whether St Mirren’s midfield absences and Celtic’s defensive injuries cancel each other out or tilt the balance one way.
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
The stage is set: a tight ground, a Saturday night under the lights, and a home side that has quietly put itself within touching distance of top spot.
Celtic know what’s at stake. Drop points here and the door opens for the chasing pack. Win, and the champions-elect narrative grows louder.
St Mirren, short-handed in midfield but full of belief, have a different ambition: to turn a strong start into something more serious. Nights like this decide whether they’re contenders or just early-season noise.
The cameras will be there. Sky Sports Football has the exclusive broadcast. The question is whether the leaders can keep their stride, or whether Paisley becomes the place where this title race truly catches fire.
