Scottish Premiership team news, stats & selectors

With leaders Rangers without a game this weekend because of Sunday's Scottish League Cup final, the focus will again be on managerless reigning champions Celtic as four Premiership games go ahead 24 hours earlier.

Following Neil Lennon's resignation, assistant John Kennedy will be in sole charge for the first time as the side sitting 18 points adrift host a fourth-top Aberdeen who had suffered their own dip until their weekend win over Kilmarnock.

Hibernian, 12 points behind Celtic and four ahead of the Dons with a game in hand over both, will be keen to take advantage of any slip-ups as they host Motherwell.

Kilmarnock, who are now only ahead of bottom side Hamilton Academical on goal difference, entertain Dundee United, while third-bottom Ross County visit St Mirren.

Catch up with all the team news and stats and choose your team's preferred XI.

Celtic v Aberdeen (15:00 GMT)

Stephen Welsh looks set to continue at the heart of Celtic's defence, along with Kristoffer Ajer.

Shane Duffy was not in the squad for Sunday's loss at Ross County, Nir Bitton remains sidelined and Christopher Jullien is recovering from a knee operation that could keep him out until the summer.

On-loan Stade de Reims striker Fraser Hornby misses out for Aberdeen with a torn muscle picked up in the 1-0 win over Kilmarnock and could be out of action for two months.

The game is likely to come too early for Jonny Hayes as the former Celtic wing-back recovers from his injury, while Ryan Hedges and Greg Leigh are long-term absentees.

Celtic caretaker manager John Kennedy: "I think with the 10-in-row, thing it got hyped and there was greater pressure. When you get over emotional, you make bad decisions and I think we have seen that in games and in some performances where there was too much emotion involved.

"Ultimately, that was the objective, to win the league and make it 10, but we have just got to park that, strip it back, get clarity, play with clear minds and understand what makes us good and try to do that."

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes: "We felt our performance there last time merited something from the game and we should have had a penalty kick. It came down to small margins and a bit of brilliance from David Turnbull.

"We took the positives from that into the game on Saturday and won that and, although Neil is not in charge, it is the same challenge for my players to overcome a talented Celtic team."

Did you know? Aberdeen have failed to defeat Celtic in 12 meetings since a 1-0 success in Glasgow in May 2018, have lost twice at Celtic Park already this season without scoring and have failed to find the net in their last four games away from Pittodrie.

Hibernian v Motherwell (15:00)

Hibs head coach Jack Ross says there are a couple of players carrying knocks who will be given until Saturday morning to prove their fitness.

The unnamed player who missed last week's win over Hamilton Academical after contracting Covid-19 will not rejoin Ross' squad until next week after experiencing symptoms that required further checks.

The game also comes too early for Motherwell's Declan Gallagher, despite the Scotland centre-half returning to training.

Midfielders Mark O'Hara, Sherwin Seedorf and Sam Foley, defenders Liam Grimshaw, Bevis Mugabi and Eddie Nolan, Sam Foley and striker Harry Smith all remain on the treatment table along with long-term absentees Trevor Carson, Charles Dunne, Liam Donnelly and Scott Fox.

Hibernian head coach Jack Ross on teenage full-back Josh Doig, who has just signed a new long-term deal: "My job is to continue to improve him, on and off the pitch, because I think we're just scratching the surface of his full potential."

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander: "We are assessing Declan every day because we don't want to take unnecessary risks with such an important player.

"We are slowly getting lads tentatively back out on the grass, but because of the injury situation this whole year, we have to be very careful bringing people back in and making sure when they come back in, they stay in."

Did you know? Hibs, looking to win five Premiership games in a row for the first time since 2011, have gone four games without defeat against Motherwell, who have failed to score in the latest three, are without a win in seven visits to Easter Road and have gone three games overall without a win.

Kilmarnock v Dundee United (15:00)

Influential midfielder Alan Power is back from suspension for Kilmarnock.

Stuart Findlay has been sold by the Ayrshire club to Philadelphia Union, but the Scotland international had been recovering from injury in any case, while fellow centre-half Clevid Dikamona misses out with a hamstring problem picked up last weekend.

United are without Peter Pawlett through suspension, while fellow midfielder Chris Mochrie misses out with a hip problem.

Kilmarnock manager Tommy Wright: "Our approach play has been very good, but it's been the final ball and decision-making that's really cost us.

"Everything we have been doing is trying to be as positive as possible and get into those areas where we can hurt teams, but then making sure we are a bit more clinical. That's been the main focus in training this week."

Dundee United manager Micky Mellon: "I don't know Tommy personally, but I know a lot about Scottish football and I'm really looking forward to the game - and I'm sure he will be.

"We can only concentrate on us as we are still trying to get to where we believe we are. We will try to look at a way that will impose ourselves on them and that will be it."

Did you know? Kilmarnock have lost eight games in a row, with Tommy Wright becoming the first manager since predecessor Alex Dyer to lose his first three Premiership games in charge, while United have won just one of their last 13 away league outings.

St Mirren v Ross County (15:00)

Collin Quaner is available for selection having recovered from an injury picked up making his St Mirren debut last month.

However, fellow strikers Eamonn Brophy and Kristian Dennis remain out.

Centre-half Callum Morris is almost certainly out of John Hughes' County squad with a hamstring injury.

Midfielder Iain Vigurs serves the second game of a two-match ban, while full-backs Tom Grivosti and Connor Randall are out for the rest of the campaign.

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin: "I think we need two wins in our remaining three games before the split to secure a top-six finish. I don't want to be going into the last game prior to the split away to Hamilton needing something special.

"It has been a fantastic effort from the players up to now - we are very close to achieving what we set out to at the beginning. Our remaining three games are against teams we have beaten already this season, we know what we have to do, we know what we want to do, we know where we want to be after the split and it is just important now that we got one big last effort from the players in order to get that done."

Ross County manager John Hughes: "The Celtic game was a bonus. It goes for nothing if we don't do the business against St Mirren, a team that's flying high, so we know how difficult it is.

"We are hoping we go there on the back of the Celtic result, keep the same levels, don't get too far in front of ourselves and pick up a win. We are in a good place going into the end of the season."

Did you know? St Mirren, unbeaten in their latest three meetings with County, could match their own record, achieved in March 2012, of drawing five Premiership games in a row if the sides finish level.