Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "With Copenhagen [on Thursday] in mind, we're trying to get people up to speed, keep the squad as strong and as fresh as possible so we can have a hit at that.

"Today is a very important game ahead of that, though. It's not this game squeezed in among important games - the cup is important to Kilmarnock.

"We're strong across the pitch, apart from defence, we'd probably like to be stronger there as we're asking a lot of boys to go back in there, but probably every boy playing today has an argument for playing a bit more.

"I can only pick 11, but the 11 I've picked today are a strong team."

McInnes confirmed goalkeeper Robby McCrorie felt a tight groin in training on Friday and he is replaced with Kieran O'Hara.

While Hibs are unable to field latest midfield loan recruit Kwon Hyeok-kyu against his parent club and have fewer forward options after Dylan Vente joined Zwolle on loan, Celtic's firepower is boosted by the return of Adam Idah.

It is a timely one with Kyogo Furuhashi missing through injury and the Republic of Ireland striker starts on the bench.

Now Idah has made the switch from Norwich City permanent, he will be looking to continue the scoring rate that bagged him nine goals, including a double against Hibs, in 19 games on loan.

With him in tow, Brendan Rodgers' hosts will be even stronger favourites to make it two wins in a week over Hibs.

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As I mentioned, League Cup last 16 weekend concludes by handing Hibs the chance of quickfire revenge over Celtic.

That is easier said than done considering Sunday's 2-0 Premiership defeat was on their own patch and this time they have to visit the home of league champions who have scored six and are yet to concede in their two games so far this season.

David Gray's side found the net 14 times in three group-stage outings, but defeat by League 1 side Kelty Hearts and two Premiership losses without scoring have heaped early pressure on the man confirmed as head coach after his spell as caretaker last season.

More will follow unless Hibs can overcome the odds and end Celtic's 18-game unbeaten run - and four straight wins - at home against the Edinburgh side.

Don't forget the later kick-off, with Celtic hosting Hibs in a reverse of last weekend's Premiership game won by the Scottish champions in Edinburgh.

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin tells BBC Scotland: "It's a huge test against a very good St Mirren team. Stephen Robinson has got them in a good place.

"The league campaign is the main objective, but a good cup run is great financially, great for the supporters. If the draw is kind, you never know."

As for new on-loan midfield signing Luca Stephenson, Goodwin adds: "Luca's a player our head scout has seen a lot of last season. He's been away with the Liverpool first team on tour.

"He's played against Real Betis, Arsenal, Manchester United in the last couple of weeks, so they hold him in high regard and we're fortunate to have him.

"[Leighton] Clarkson came to Aberdeen and did great, Owen Beck was outstanding at Dundee last season. It's a great academy."

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell tells BBC Scotland about re-signing Tony Watt: "Tony's spoken for himself. He's got a wealth of experience in the game, he's played at a high level and played well.

"He's deemed surplus to requirements at Dundee United and everyone knows the situation we have here. I need to stress it wasn't knee-jerk.

"He understands that some supporters will be miffed, but he'll do his talking on the pitch."

On this morning's new signing, Tawanda Maswanhise, Kettlewell adds: "He's excited us. We went to down to play Everton last week and he showed up very well. He can carry the ball, he's got pace and real imagination. He can play a few different positions for us."

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Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland at Fir Park

As mentioned earlier, Tony Watt has returned to Motherwell on loan from Dundee United and it will be interesting to see what sort of reception he will get from the Fir Park faithful, who were less than impressed when he jumped ship to Tannadice two years ago.

The striker joked in midweek that Well would now have a forward line of Moses and Judas.

However, Watt starts on the bench this time and will have to wait a bit to link up with Moses Ebiye.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "We're very prepared. We work a couple of games ahead of ourselves. I've watched a lot of footage of Dundee United and we know we're in for a tough game."

Robinson admits it is difficult to get consistency making so many changes from game to game

"Three enforced changes in midfield today - Mark O'Hara isn't fit yet and Dennis and Caolan - my starting midfield - are both injured," he says.

"We've got boys like Goga, Marcus and Shaun Rooney who will continue to play football at a great level with great energy."

On young Fraser Taylor starting in midfield, he adds: "He's a super footballer, technically. If he was in a different country, he'd be a superstar already."

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Motherwell's problems continued with the news that Apostolos Stamatelopoulos is sidelined for six weeks after the former Newcastle Jets striker was forced off during Saturday's defeat by Rangers.

With fellow summer signing Filip Stuparevic recovering from his injury, no wonder manager Stuart Kettlewell moved this week to bring striker Tony Watt back to his former club on loan after limited game time with Dundee United as well as Tawanda Maswanhise this morning.

Well's only wins this season have been over fourth-tier sides Edinburgh City and Clyde and they are without a win in three outings.

A single goal against Tromso in Norway was enough to secure a first win in five outings this season for visitors Kilmarnock, but manager Derek McInnes has shuffled his pack again as he aims to end a run of five visits to Fir Park without a victory.

St Mirren will have headed to Tannadice with a combination of regrets and pride in performance as they look to extend their unbeaten run there to five games.

They ran Brann close on Thursday until two late goals took the more experienced Norwegian side through to the Europa Conference League play-offs.

Now Stephen Robinson's team must recover from their travels as they look to avoid a third consecutive defeat in a week after Aberdeen ended their four-game unbeaten start to the season.

In contrast, United had a shaky start, losing their group-stage opener to League 1 champions Falkirk, but have since gone five unbeaten, albeit they have had to settle for a point in both games on their Premiership return.

Just the one change from the team that narrowly lost to Rangers last week at Hampden for Motherwell, perhaps unsurprising given the injury crisis Stuart Kettlewell is experiencing.

Striker Zach Robinson comes in to replace the injured Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.

We've already noted new signing Tawanda Maswanhise on the bench and fellow forward Tony Watt joins him there too after re-joining the Fir Park club earlier this week on loan from Dundee United.

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Unsurprisingly, Derek McInnes has rung in the changes from Thursday's colossal Conference League win for Kilmarnock over Tromso.

He's made nine changes, with defenders Joe Wright and Stuart Findlay the only survivors, perhaps looking forward to the midweek match with FC Copenhagen.

The Kilmarnock manager was hopeful Marley Watkins would be fit again after a groin injury - and he is. He leads the line in Lanarkshire.

There's first starts of the season too for goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara and winger Gary Mackay-Steven.

There's no Danny Armstrong as the winger's partner is due to give birth.

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Stephen Robinson rotates five from the midweek defeat by Brann in Bergen that ended the Buddies' Europa Conference League dream.

Dennis Adeniran and Caolan Boyd-Munce drop out completely, while Jonah Ayunga, Jaden Brown and Richard Taylor are named on the bench.

Alex Iacovitti, Oisin Smyth, Scott Tanser and Mikael Mandron come in, while midfielder Fraser Taylor makes his first-ever St Mirren start.

Midfielder Evan Mooney, just 16 years old, is named on the bench.

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Talking of new signings, midweek arrival Luca Stephenson is parachuted straight into United's starting XI after arriving on loan from Liverpool.

The 20-year-old midfielder is one of two changes to the United team that drew 1-1 with Ross County last weekend.

Ross Graham comes into a back-three, with Croatian wing-back Vicko Sevelj out of the squad and Miller Thomson dropped to the bench.

Club captain Ross Docherty is on the bench after missing the first few weeks of the season with injury.

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Did you spot an unfamiliar name among the substitutions there, Motherwell fans?

The signing of Zimbabwe forward Tawanda Maswanhise was announced just over an hour before kick-off.

The 21-year-old says he is "ready to make an impact" at Motherwell and, as you can see, he's right into Stuart Kettlewell's squad.

He's joined on a short-term deal until January having come through the youth academy at Leicester City.

Apparently comfortable through the middle or out on the wing and Kettlewell says he will "bring something different".

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Motherwell: Oxborough, O'Donnell, Casey, Gordon, McGinn, Seddon, Wilson, Zdravkovski, Halliday, Miller, Robinson.

Substitutes: Hegyi, Balmer, Sparrow, Kaleta, Ebiye, Wells, Ferrie, Watt, Maswanhise.

Kilmarnock: O'Hara, Wright, Dead, Findlay, Mackay-Steven, McKenzie, Watson, Polworth, Murray, Anderson, Watkins.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Mayo, Lyons, Vassell, Kennedy, Cameron, Donnelly, Wales, Bainbridge.

As mentioned, a couple of Premiership teams exited the League Cup in Saturday's ties.

Falkirk's 2-0 win over Heart of Midlothian wasn't that much of a shock considering they are only now one league apart now after the Bairns' Scottish League 1 title win.

However, League 2 side Spartans' 1-0 defeat of Ross County certainly was.

Indeed, it was pretty historic considering the Edinburgh side were only promoted to the Scottish Professional Football League for the first time last season and had never beaten a top-tier team before.

In saying that, they had already beaten Livingston, freshly relegated from the Premiership, away from home to win their group to qualify.

You can read more here from Amy Canavan.

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Dundee United: Walton, Adegboyega, Gallagher, Graham, Holt, Ferry, Babunski, Sibbald, Stephenson, Trapanovski, Van der Sande.

Substitutes: Richards, Moult, Odada, Middleton, Fotheringham, Docherty, Thomson, Cleall-Harding, Ubochioma.

St Mirren: Balcombe, Fraser, Gogic, Iacovitti, Rooney, Smyth, Idowu, Tanser, F Taylor, Mandron, Olusanya.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Bwomono, R Taylor, Kenny, Sutherland, Brown, Mooney, Scott, Ayunga.

Let's get straight to the line-ups - and there's some interesting news from Motherwell!

Sportsound started it's build-up to this afternoon's games an hour ago.

Pat Bonnar, Steven Thompson, Scott Allan, Stephen Craigan and Rory Loy are the pundits joining Richard Gordon.

Click the wee button at the top of the page or listen to the old tranny!

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