Dundee Utd v Celtic: Team news, referee details, KO time & where to watch

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The Celtic Star

·17. Dezember 2025

Dundee Utd v Celtic: Team news, referee details, KO time & where to watch

Big night up at Tannadice for Wilfried Nancy and Celtic as the Champions look to close the gap on leaders Hearts by winning one of our two games in hand and the new Celtic manager seeks a desperately needed first win and perhaps some validation for a system that has failed to convince anyone so far.

Celtic supporters doing the Huddle at Tannadice as they celebrate the title win. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star).

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Teething troubles will be worth it if this clicks and we end up with another innovate era akin to the two Ange Postecoglou years. But the thought of going four games in a row with the bitter taste of defeat will see pressure intensifying. Celtic’s media team could also do with giving the manager some advice on what he talks about at the media conferences which so far have been bizarre to say the least and are certainly not doing Wilfried any favours.

Celtic Team News

Already missing ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s first three matches in charge of Celtic were Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Marcelo Saracchi, Jota and Callum Osmand and four of these could be considered first choice starters from the Celtic squad as it currently stands.

Kelechi Iheanacho is injured during the Premier Sports Cup Final match between St Mirren and Celtic at Hampden Park on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Vagelis Georgariou, The Celtic Star)

On Sunday Nancy lost Kelechi Iheanacho to a re-occurrence of his ongoing hamstring problem and the Nigerian striker is now set for another period on the treatment table. And both Sebastian Tounekti (Tunisia) and Michel-Ange Balikwisha (DR Congo) have now headed off on international duty to represent their respective nations at the African Cup of Nations.

So with all that to factor in, it’s fair to say that Nancy is working with the bare bones a Celtic squad that was also short-changed in the summer by the failing of Michael Nicholson and Paul Tisdale to get the transfer deals across the line particularly in the right wing an centre forward positions. So assuming Nancy remains committed to his 3-4-3 formation, here’s how we think he might line-up this evening.

Kasper Schmeichel celebrates at Easter Road, Sunday 30 November 2025. Hibs v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The day is clearly getting closer when Viljami Sinisalo replaces Kasper Schmeichel but that will have to wait this evening, assuming the Great Dane is fully fit.

The back three clearly didn’t work at the weekend with Anthony Ralston play as a right-sided centre-back. Expect Dane Murray or perhaps even Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to come in this evening with Auston Trusty and Liam Scales making up the back three.

Callum McGregor with Wilfried Nancy. Premier Sports Cup Final. St Mirren v Celtic. Hampden Park, Sunday 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Callum McGregor will captain the side and expect a start for Paulo Bernardo this evening with Arne Engels and Reo Hatate keeping their places.

And for the three up top James Forrest on the right, Johnny Kenny through the middle and Daizen Maeda down the left wing looks likely. So our predicted Celtic team to face Dundee United this evening is as follows:

Schmeichel; Trusty, Murray, Scales; Bernardo, McGregor, Hatate, Engels; Forrest, Kenny and Maeda. Substitutes: Sinisalo, Donovan, Ralston, Nygren, McCowan, Yang, Shin Yamada.

Match Officials

Aberdeen v Motherwell Premier Sports Cup 20/09/2025. Referee John Beaton and Motherwell s Manager Jens Berthel Askou during the Premier Sports Quarter Final match between Aberdeen and Motherwell at Pittodrie on 20 September 2025. Photo Stephen Dobson PSI-IMAGO

This evening’s match at Tannadice between Dundee United and Celtic will see John Beaton taking charge, assisted by David McGeachie and Scott Anderson, while Andrew Dallas will be heading up the VAR operation with Gary Hilland assisting him this evening.