Martin O'Neill provided fresh updates on Celtic's squad ahead of Wednesday's trip to St Johnstone, with Kieran Tierney and Kasper Høgh back in training after groin injuries. Yang Hyun-jun is in contention to captain South Korea at the Asian Games after departing for the tournament, while Celtic prepare for the Rangers Premier Sports Cup quarter-final on Sunday at Ibrox.
Celtic travel to McDiarmid Park on Wednesday 9 September for a Premiership fixture against St Johnstone, kick-off 20:00 live on Sky Sports Football. Martin O'Neill held his pre-match press conference on Monday 8 September, addressing squad fitness and preparations for the Perth visit. St Johnstone sit seventh in the table on seven points from five matches.
Source: SPFL
Kieran Tierney and Kasper Høgh have returned to training ahead of the St Johnstone match, with both making good progress from groin injuries sustained in recent weeks. While their availability for Wednesday remains uncertain, the positive news came after both sat out Celtic's win over St Mirren on Saturday 6 September.
Source: Celtic FC
Manager Martin O'Neill confirmed that Filipe Jota is progressing faster than originally expected in his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury. O'Neill addressed concerns about the severity of the injury at Monday's press conference, offering an encouraging update on the midfielder's rehabilitation timeline.
Source: Celtic FC
Manager Martin O'Neill praised Chelsea loanee Shim Mheuka at his Monday press conference, describing the defender as looking like a genuine prospect. O'Neill suggested Mheuka is "definitely capable" of contributing to Celtic's squad this season.
Source: Celtic FC
Celtic face Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final on Sunday 13 September at Ibrox, with kick-off at 12:00 noon live on Premier Sports. Rangers reached the last eight with a commanding 5-1 victory over St Mirren, while Celtic progressed with a 4-0 win against Dundee United. The winner advances to the semi-finals.
Source: SPFL
Yang Hyun-jun is in contention for the captain's armband for South Korea's Asian Games squad after being named as one of the permitted overage players for the tournament in Japan (15 September – 3 October). South Korea manager Lee Min-sung highlighted Yang's leadership qualities and progress at Celtic as factors in the captaincy consideration. Victory at the Games would grant Yang exemption from military service.
Source: Korea Football Association
Supporter channels and fan forums expressed ongoing frustration with VAR decision-making, particularly over the application of offside lines and the perceived inconsistency in how technology is used across Scottish football. The Celtic Star and 67 Hail Hail both carried discussion of controversial decisions affecting Celtic matches this season, with fans questioning the standard of decision-making.
Source: The Celtic Star
Celtic Quick News and 67 Hail Hail both focused on the positive trajectory of Kieran Tierney's injury recovery. Supporters expressed relief that early fears of a lengthy absence appear to have been eased, with the defender's return to training seen as a genuine boost for the squad's defensive options in the coming weeks.
Source: Celtic Quick News
Celtic News Now and supporter forums highlighted the midweek trip to Perth as an important fixture to maintain the club's winning start to the season. Supporters discussed O'Neill's likely team selection and whether the manager might rotate ahead of the Rangers cup tie on Sunday, with debate centred on balancing squad rotation against the need to keep unbeaten runs going.
Source: Celtic News Now
Fan channels acknowledged the mixed emotions around Yang Hyun-jun's departure for the Asian Games. While supporters were delighted at the individual honour of the potential captaincy and the military service exemption opportunity, there was frustration at losing the winger at a crucial period with the St Johnstone match and the Rangers cup quarter-final coming in quick succession.
Source: 67 Hail Hail
After matches of Sunday 7 Sep
| # | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| 2 | Hearts | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 3 | St Mirren | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | Rangers | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 6 | Dundee | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | St Johnstone | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 8 | Hibernian | 5 | -2 | 6 |
| 9 | Dundee United | 6 | -5 | 5 |
| 10 | Aberdeen | 5 | -5 | 4 |
| 11 | Falkirk | 5 | -4 | 2 |
| 12 | Kilmarnock | 5 | -10 | 1 |