Hatate To Start? | Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Kilmarnock | OneFootball

Celtic, far from their best, secured a dramatic injury-time winner when ‘super sub’ Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain netted on his debut against the bottom-placed Livingston. Rangers’ draw against Motherwell boosted them further in the title race; however, they must step up their game to grab all three points on the road against Kilmarnock, and then root for a favourable outcome in the top-of-the-table clash between Hearts and their Glasgow rivals on Sunday.

Killie, who are battling for survival lower down the league standings, have lost twice against the reigning champions so far this campaign. Kelechi Iheanacho converted a last-minute spot-kick on his debut to claim a victory at Rugby Park back in September, whereas the Parkhead fixture proved to be a one-sided encounter a couple of months later. Martin O’Neill would demand a similar show from his men to get a grip in the three-horse battle for silverware.

Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Kilmarnock

Defence

Kasper Schmeichel is back in action, overcoming a minor shoulder injury. But he must aim for a clean sheet, having failed to clinch one away from Celtic Park since last month’s edgy win over  Falkirk.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 09: Daizen Maeda of Celtic scores his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on November 09, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Julian Araujo, who joined on loan from Bournemouth, has been a revelation down the right-hand side of O’Neill’s four-man backline. He should keep his place over Colby Donovan and Anthony Ralston amid Alistair Johnston’s injury absence, but the gaffer must rotate Marcelo Saracchi with Kieran Tierney, even though the Uruguayan scored a stellar goal against Livi. The left fullback has recently returned from a long injury layoff and, therefore, must not be rushed into action three times a week. Auston Trusty and Liam Scales would continue as the central defensive pairing ahead of Dane Murray and the January recruit Benjamin Arthur.

Midfield

Arne Engels was forced to leave the pitch this midweek with a suspected thigh injury. He could miss weeks of action, and the manager might now opt for Reo Hatate, who recently lost his place due to a lack of consistency in the middle of the park. The Japanese ace, along with Benjamin Nygren, must exhibit their creative spark with box-to-box movements, and the skipper Callum McGregor should drive their game from the base as a deep-lying playmaker. The minutes of Oxlade-Chamberlain must be managed carefully, as he hardly played competitive football over the past eight months.

Attack

Long-term injuries to Jota, Iheanacho and Callum Osmand led to the winter arrivals of Joel Mvuka, Junior Adamu and Tomas Cvancara. The latter has cemented the ‘number 9’ status; also, Sebastian Tounekti should retain his spot down the wide, having stepped up his performance in recent fixtures. Daizen Maeda has been a shadow of his earlier self, yet a player of his profile must continue to feature ahead of Hyun-jun Yang, James Forrest, Mvuka and Michel-Ange Balikwisha.