Dundee United v Celtic – Predicted Team, Murray and Forrest to start

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The Celtic Star

·17 December 2025

Dundee United v Celtic – Predicted Team, Murray and Forrest to start

Wilfried Nancy takes the remnants of his Celtic squad to Tannadice this evening with the Frenchman searching for his first win as Celtic manager…

Celtic fans protest at Tannadice. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star).

His task certainly is not made any easier by the loss of three players from the already depleted Celtic squad that represented the club in the 2025 Premier Sports Cup Final defeat to St Mirren on Sunday afternoon at Hampden Park.

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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.

Paul Tisdale. Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

So assuming Nancy remains committed to his 3-4-3 formation, here’s how we think he might line-up this evening.

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.

Dane Murray of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier Sports League Cup match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on August 15, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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

James Forrest in action against St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup Final on 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

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:

Celtic players at Hampden. Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

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

Kick-off is at 8pm and the match is live on Sky Sports and also Celtic TV for subscribers based outside of Britain and Ireland.

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