Celtic vs Dundee FC – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Defending champions Celtic begin their new season as they face Dundee FC in their first Scottish Premiership match of the season on Monday at Celtic Park.

Celtic vs Dundee FC – Match preview and team news

Celtic team news

Celtic enters the upcoming fixture dealing with a few notable absences and fitness concerns, particularly across their defensive line.

Managerial plans are disrupted by the unavailability of Liam Scales, who is forced to miss the match due to a carrying-over domestic suspension.

Additionally, defender Auston Trusty is highly unlikely to start, as his late return to pre-season training leaves him short on match fitness and will likely keep him on the substitutes’ bench.

On a longer-term note, winger Jota remains completely ruled out of action as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.

There are also late fitness decisions to be made regarding Alistair Johnston and Yang Hyun-Jun, who are both carrying minor knocks.

On a positive note, Benjamin Nygren has shaken off a minor issue to declare himself fit, while new signings Camilo Duran and Kasper Høgh are ready for their competitive debuts.

Dundee FC team news

Dundee FC faces a selection headache ahead of this match, particularly in the center of their defense following recent squad movements.

The team will be without Aaron Donnelly, who is officially unavailable after being permitted to secure a loan move away from the club last week.

This departure leaves the squad incredibly thin at the back, meaning Ryan Astley and Owen Bevan are the only fully fit, recognised senior central defenders currently available for selection.

Further complicating matters, both Imari Samuels and Callum Jones have been completely ruled out of the fixture due to their respective injuries.

Midfielder Finlay Robertson is also a major doubt for the match and will require a late fitness assessment right before kick-off to determine his availability.

Amidst these injury setbacks, there is a boost for the visitors as new signing Alan Forrest is fully fit and expected to debut.

Form

Celtic

Celtic enters the new Scottish Premiership season after wrapping up a busy pre-season schedule. Their final summer friendly ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw against Italian giants AC Milan, following a tough 4-1 defeat to Sporting CP and a 1-1 tie with Shelbourne and Middlesbrough. Despite mixed friendly results, the reigning champions boast immense domestic pedigree, having finished their previous competitive campaign strongly by capturing the Scottish Cup with a 3-1 final victory over Dunfermline.

Dundee FC

Dundee FC arrives in excellent competitive form, having already played four official matches in the Scottish League Cup group stage. They won three of those fixtures, concluding with a dominant 4-0 victory over Clyde, alongside a 5-0 thrashing of Annan Athletic and a 4-2 win against Airdrieonians. Their only blemish was a 1-1 draw against Ross County, which they lost on penalties. In friendlies, they lost 4-0 to Everton.

Predicted lineups

Celtic: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Hatate, Engels; Forrest, Duran, Tounekti

Dundee FC: O’Hara; Wright, Astley, Donnelly, Halliday; Bevan, Finnigan, Reilly, Hamilton, Jones; Murray

How to watch Celtic vs Dundee FC?

You can watch the Celtic vs Dundee FC match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

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