Celtic v St Mirren – Team News, Match Officials, KO Time and Where to Watch | OneFootball

It’s Flag Day at Celtic Park with The Maestro Paul McStay having the task of unfurling the Scottish Premiership winners flag and in doing so put last season’s title triumph into the history books alongside the other 54 titles won by Celtic Football Club, a record unmatched by any other club.

Paul McStay scoring at Ibrox in 1988. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Paul McStay more than merits the acclamation of the capacity crowd inside Celtic Park, as indeed does the Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers who has won four of those titles for Celtic and will be determined to make if five this season.

Whether he is here beyond that is going to be down to the man who walks out on trophy day, the Celtic CEO. He along with Celtic biggest single shareholder Dermot Desmond will decide whether they are prepared to match the ambition of the manager – who remember took Bayern Munich all the way in their own back yard in the Champions League play-offs last season and could reasonably expect that the club would be happy enough with that.

Celtic FC coach Brendan Rodgers looks on before the Como Cup match between Al-Ahli and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

There has been plenty said on The Celtic Star, across the Celtic fan media and in the wider mainstream media about what was said by Brendan on Friday afternoon about his own situation at Celtic. Talks have been held with Nicholson and Desmond but there’s been no contract offer and the Celtic manager has made it clear that he is only interested in continuing with the job he loves – BRENDAN WANTS TO STAY AT CELTIC – IF the club can match his ambition by bringing in players that are required.

UEFA Champions League Celtic Glasgow vs Young Boys Bern, Celtic Park. Goal celebration by Kyogo Furuhashi however VAR rules out the goal. Photo Joeran Steinsiek IMAGO

Having sold Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn this year for a combined £27m and having lost Jota to an ACL injury that will sideline him until 2026, it’s not unreasonable for the Celtic manager to look for quality replacements but with over £100m in funds ‘resting’ in the bank the ambition appears not to be in the boardroom and unless that changes this month then Brendan Rodgers will leave Celtic at the end of the season.

Nicolas Kuehn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Back to the football. Celtic can open up a two points lead over theRangers with a victory over Stephen Robinson’s Saints who you will recall were seconds away from winning at Paradise in Trophy Day back in May. Russell Martin’s Ibrox outfit has conceded 51 shots in three competitive games this season and looked all over the place at Fir Park.

They held a lead at the interval but in the second half only comical finishing from Motherwell kept them in front until finally Motherwell scored in the closing stages, then missed a sitter to win the match. The incoming Ibrox manager – the third this year – threw his players under the bus and admitted that they were lucky to get anything from the game. His system will suit Brendan Rodgers’ side down to the ground.

Today Celtic only have Jota sidelined with the rest of the squad fully fit and ready to go.

Team News and Manager’s View

Celtic’s Lisbon Lion, Jim Craig unfurled the league flag ahead of the kick-off against Kilmarnock. before the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Kilmarnock FC at Celtic Park on August 4, 2024. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

“When you do all of your preparation work in pre-season, it’s always built towards this moment,” Brendan Rodgers said at Friday’s pre-match media conference which was attended by The Celtic Star.

“The players are really well prepared. We’ve worked very hard over the course of pre-season. From our work here at Lennoxtown when we came back, to Cork, Portugal and Lake Como, the preparation has been so good.’

“The guys that are here have worked so hard. Everyone at the club has put together a fantastic pre-season programme for us. Now we arrive in to these last couple of days and we’re ready for Flag Day which is a special day for us.”

Celtic player Kieran Tierney iin action during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Kasper Schmeichel will start and you can expect the back four to feature Alistair Johnston, Cameron-Carter Vickers, Auston Trusty and Kieran Tierney.

In the middle of the park Callum McGregor plays as does Reo Hatate and the third spot of the trio is going to be down to what happens further forward in the team with options limited in the wide areas after Nicholas Kuhn left the club to join Italian side Como.

Sporting CP v Celtic – Pre-Season Friendly Benjamin Nygren of Celtic FC is in action during the pre-season friendly match between Sporting de Lisboa and Celtic FC at Estadio Algarve in Faro, Portugal, on July 16, 2025. Faro Portugal Photo DAX Images

Expect new signing Benjamin Nygren to get the nod and the front three to be Yang, Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda.

So our predicted Celtic team is as follows:

Adam Idah celebrates. Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan added: “The aim as a Celtic manager is always to dominate every competition. We have qualification for the Champions League which we want to arrive in to.

“And we want to be competitive in that competition if we arrive there. The pressure here at Celtic isn’t just about winning, but winning with a style of football.

“That’s always the pursuit of the teams here, to play attacking, aggressive football. It’s not just winning, it’s how we win that’s important to us.”

Match Officials

Don Robertson, Dens Park, Dundee v Celtic. 14th January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

The Scottish FA earlier in the week, as reported on The Celtic Star, confirmed that Don Robertson will referee the match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic Park this afternoon. Robertson will be assisted by David Dunne and Craig Ferguson while Greg Aitken will be on VAR duties assisted by Graeme Leslie.

Kick-off Time

It’s a 4.30pm kick-off at Celtic Park to accommodate the broadcaster who are doing a decent job this weekend showcasing the opening day of the new Scottish Premiership season. That said the later kick-off time isn’t great for the Celtic supporters coming over from Ireland having to get back to Stranraer to catch the ferry back home. But they’ll be there because they are always there.

Where to Watch

Today’s match is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. Coverage on both channels will begin at 4pm. Today’s match will also be shown live on Celtic TV for subscribers based outside of Britain and Ireland and there will be a playback later tonight for all other subscribers.

Score Prediction

St Mirren have been busy making their way through the Premier Sports group section so will have plenty of early season fitness and a determination to defend deep and frustrate Celtic, looking to take advantage of their rare moments threatening the Celtic goal. However today might not be theirs as Celtic will look for the usual fast start to the campaign and expect after getting the all important opening goal the Hoops to go on and score a few more.

Predicted score Celtic 3-0 St Mirren.

See you at Paradise!

COYBIG!

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