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

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The Celtic Star

·15 February 2026

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

It’s a massive day in the Scottish Premiership title race with one contender at least guaranteed to drop points in a double header of games starting with Celtic away to Kilmarnock before theRangers entertain current league leaders Hearts at Ibrox.

Auchinleck Talbot v Celtic, Scottish Cup 4th Round, Rugby Park. Sunday 18 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou ( The Celtic Star)

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There was no media conference from Celtic ahead of this game, with Martin O’Neill’s post match conference after the midweek win over Livingston having to suffice, although Shaun Maloney also did a Sky Sports interview after that game as Celtic passed on their usual preview interview with Sky Sports ahead of a live broadcast. Sky Sports did hear from the managers of Kilmarnock, theRangers and Hearts ahead of their broadcast of both matches this afternoon.

Celtic Team News

Celtic will more than likely have Arne Engels added to the list of injured players this afternoon. That list includes Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickes, Jota and young Callum Osmand.

Arne Engels of Celtic has a shot on goal. Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, 11 Feb rural 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

Today expect Kasper Schmeichel to be in goals behind a back four of Julian Araujo, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Kieran Teirney. In the middle of the park the Celtic captain Callum McGregor will be joined by Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan and the front three we reckon will be Yang, Tomas Cvancara and Sebastian Tounekti.

New signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Celtic is paraded in front of the fans ahead of kick off at Celtic Park. Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Celtic Park, on 07 February 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

The bench for Celtic at Rugby Park will look something like this: Sinisalo; Saracchi, Arthur, Donovan, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Bernardo, Hatate, Adamu, Maeda and Forrest.

That would leave the following fit players not in the squad: Doohan; Murray, Ralston, Balikwisha, Iheanacho, and Mvuka.

Predicted Celtic Team (4-3-3)

Julián Araujo of Celtic. Falkirk v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Falkirk Stadium, 14 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Celtic XI: Schmeichel; Araujo, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; McGregor (c), Nygren, McCowan; Yang, Cvancara and Tounekti.

Match Officials

Livingston v Hearts Scottish Premiership 30/08/2025. Referee Duncan Nicolson shares a joke with Lawrence Shankland of Hearts at the Set Fare Arena, Livingston, on 30 August 2025. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie/PSI/IMAGO

The Scottish FA have confirmed the appointment of referee Duncan Nicolson for the Kilmarnock v Celtic match at Rugby Park. Nicholson has taken charge of one Celtic game this season, a 1-0 win over Dundee before Martin O’Neill made way for Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous spell.

Scott Anderson and Alastair Taylor will assist Nicolson this afternoon while Greg Aitken is the VAR over at Clydesdale House. Aitken will have Chris Graham assisting him.

Kick-off Time

Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The Scottish Premiership match between Kilmarnock and Celtic kicks off at 2pm this afternoon – Sunday 15 February 2026.

Where to Watch

Kilmarnock v Celtic is live on Sky Sports Football with the pre-match build-up starting at 1pm. Subscribers to Celtic TV based outside of Britain and Ireland will be able to stream the match live and highlights will be shown on BBC Scotland channel at 7pm and repeated on BBC One Scotland later this evening.

Celtic TV will show the full match in a delayed streaming later as usually happens. That’s available to all subscribers including those based in Britain and Ireland.

Predicted Score

Neil McCann and Kris Boyd. St Mirren v theRangers, 24 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Celtic need to get the job done against the Ayrshire that who have won their last two home matches against Aberdeen and St Mirren, scoring six goals in the process. In Neil McCann they have a manager who would like to do both theRangers and Hearts a favour ahead of their game kicking off.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Celtic reacts at the final whistle with Callum McGregor Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 11 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock

Celtic though know that winning games like these matter as we enter the business end of the season. Expect Celtic to win 2-0 with goals from the captain and Tomas Cvancara.

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