Celtic

• Celtic have only lost on one of the 11 previous occasions that they have faced Kilmarnock on MD1 of a league season (W8 D2), a 2-3 defeat to start the 1961-62 campaign.

• Kilmarnock have only won one of their last 83 away games against Celtic in all competitions (D18 L64), a 2-0 victory in October 2012 under Kenny Shiels.

• Celtic have won their league opener in 15 of the last 16 seasons, losing the other 1-2 away to Hearts in 2021-22. When at home on MD1, the Hoops are unbeaten in 34 such games (W30 D4) since a 3-4 defeat to Morton in 1950-51.

• When starting a top-flight season away from home on MD1, Kilmarnock are winless in seven such games (D3 L4) since a 1-0 victory over Hibernian in 2004-05.

• Reigning Scottish champions have won on MD1 in each of the last 12 seasons, with the last to fail to do so being Rangers in 2011-12 (1-1 draw v Hearts).

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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BBC Sport Scotland have been taking a look at the faces to watch out for in the new Scottish Premiership season.

For the champions, here's who to keep an eye on.

Kasper Schmeichel doesn't need much introducing.

The son of goalkeeping legend Peter has created his own legacy since he first cut his teeth in Scottish football on loan to Falkirk from Manchester City 17 years ago.

Some pointed out the 37-year-old is seven months older than Joe Hart, whose retirement meant Celtic required a new number one. But the Dane arrives at Celtic Park from Anderlecht fresh from proving he is still an imposing presence with Denmark at Euro 2024 - and in some testing pre-season friendlies.

Read the rest of Clive's piece here.

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Alistair Johnston believes Celtic are well placed to build on last season's success after an impressive pre-season in the USA.

Brendan Rodgers' side beat both Manchester City and Chelsea during their time in the US, and Johnston says it is evidence of how they have progressed under the Northern Irish manager.

Celtic won both the Premiership and Scottish Cup last season, alongside a disappointing Champions League campaign, but Johnston says they are up to the challenge.

"If you watch the way the boys played [in pre-season], I was blown away with it," the Canada international said.

"You could see the guys are taking on board what the manager is asking. The idea is to push on, be strong domestically, and it's a new CL format - it gives us two extra chances to go out there and give us a shot of making the next round.

"It's an exciting year in that sense. We've show in the pre-season that we're ready for that."

Johnston also expects new arrival Kasper Schmeichel to fill the hole left in goal by former number one Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last season.

"Replacing Joe off and on the pitch is really difficult and I think they've done a good job of that with Kasper," Johnston added.

"He's going to prove a lot of people wrong, a bit like Joe did when he came up here. I'm excited to build that relationship and trust with him.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

With a healthy bank balance and seven of the last nine domestic trophies vying for space in their shiny display cabinets, it’s fair to say Celtic are operating from a position of strength.

The champions will be heavy favourites when it comes to this season's league title. As I write, Matt O'Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate are all still in the building and all stood out in the recent friendly wins over big-name English opposition across the pond.

That said, the fact that only two goalkeepers have been signed so far this summer is a tad odd.

Where are all the outfield additions of quality manager Brendan Rodgers has been calling for since before the turn of the year? Are the Parkhead money men waiting to see whether they'll get £20m-plus for O'Riley, who seems almost certain to be sold?

With the incoming Champions League money - added to the cash reserves already there - surely the board can afford to loosen the purse-strings regardless of the Danish star’s seemingly imminent departure?

This would depend, of course, on just how ambitious the club really is. Are they content to simply keep ticking along at the top of the domestic pile? Or will they give serious shrift to Rodgers' oft-declared desire to have a proper crack at European football's premier competition?

I must admit to finding it somewhat curious that the previous manager's business always seemed to be done promptly, tidily and with an absolute minimum of fuss. Ange Postecoglou had the players identified, signed and bedded in early in most of his transfer windows.

The same has conspicuously not been the case under Brendan Rodgers. I'm not convinced many of last summer's signings were 'his' players. What’s undeniable is the lack of impact most of them made.

You'd give Luis Palma pass marks, and that’s probably it. The manager wanted big reinforcements in January and got Nicolas Kuhn and a half-season loan of Adam Idah. Both good additions, it should be stressed, with the German continuing to settle in well if the summer friendlies are anything to go by.

A good pre-season can work wonders for a player. Idah may well come back from Norwich permanently but the length of time that deal is taking suggests a bit of gamesmanship on both sides of the negotiating table. Norwich want top dollar, naturally, while Celtic won’t pay over the odds.

A striker, a midfielder and at least a couple of defensive reinforcements are needed to improve what’s an already strong-looking side. Before a ball has been kicked domestically, Celtic already look pretty sharp. Just ask Man City and Chelsea.

But if the Scottish champions don’t want to stand still - and want to realise their manager's ambitions of European respectability complementing domestic dominance - the quality players he’s been requesting for the better part of a year ought really to be arriving. And sharpish. The Parkhead faithful will let the board know pretty quickly if they feel they’re being short-changed.

Celtic are on the verge of making an offer for 21-year-old Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, who has been strongly linked with Rangers. (Mosaique FM, external - in French)

Adam Idah is close to completing a return to Celtic and a deal could be done in time for Sunday’s Premiership opener against Kilmarnock. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

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James Forrest will go joint top of Celtic's most decorated player list if he wins another trophy, but the winger will "never think too far ahead".

The 33-year-old is currently on 24 honours and another would take him level with current record holder Bobby Lennox.

Speaking to Sky Sports, external, Forrest said: "It's been a pleasure to play here for so long and win so many trophies.

"I think you learn with Celtic that if you win a cup, win a league, it's about how quickly you bounce back and are hungry for the next one.

"It's always been like that for so many years. It's just like that again this year.

"In football you can never think too far ahead. The most important thing is you just focus on every day, the next game and that's maybe why we've had so much success."

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Kasper Schmeichel's early impact proves why Celtic are "very lucky" to have the goalkeeper, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

The former Leicester man, who has impressed in pre-season, reunited with Rodgers this summer after ending a year-long spell with Anderlecht.

The Denmark captain, who played at Euro 2024, is tasked with replacing Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last campaign.

37-year-old Schmeichel is slightly older than ex-England keeper Hart, and Rodgers stressed the importance of keeping experienced hands between the sticks.

"Just him coming in in this last 10-12 days or so has given the players a lift," the Celtic boss told Sky Sports, external.

"We had Joe here who was absolutely brilliant, he was an amazing character and goalkeeper, so it was really important for us to bring in somebody like that.

"Having worked with Kasper, I knew his hunger and how competitive he was. I also knew how good he is around his team-mates.

"Coming into a massive club like this is something he really relished. He's settled in really well, he's obviously an experienced goalkeeper and someone we're very lucky to have."

After a league and cup double last term, Celtic captain Callum McGregor says the club will still strive to improve this season.

Read more: Celtic 'too busy' to think about Rangers' pre-season problems

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Celtic target Adam Idah was left out of Norwich City's friendly with Hoffenheim for disciplinary reasons, head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has confirmed.

The English Championship club's new boss revealed the striker, who enjoyed an impressive loan spell in Scotland last season, "reported late" for a team flight on Sunday.

Earlier this summer, the Scottish Premiership champions had a bid rejected to sign the Republic of Ireland striker on a permanent deal.

A fortnight ago, the Norwich head coach said Idah "will be a valuable player" for him following a friendly appearance against Club Bruges.

But after Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim, Thorup told club media:, external "He reported late for the flight on Sunday, we decided he should come as quick as possible.

"Of course he could not be a part of this game today. There are some things we can accept and some things we cannot accept, this part we cannot accept it."

Celtic are stepping up their pursuit of 28-year-old Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland as an agreement with Norwich City over a return to Glasgow for Adam Idah continues to prove elusive. (HITC), external

Adam Idah will be disciplined by Norwich City after the 23-year-old striker failed to turn up for the club’s flight for their pre-season camp in Austria on Sunday and was dropped for their friendly against Hoffenheim after arriving later in the day. (Anthony Joseph on X), external

Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup says Celtic's interest in taking Adam Idah back after his loan spell last season was "probably a factor" in him missing the flight to their Austrian training camp. (Daily Record), external

Adam Idah has apologised to Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup after he went AWOL during pre-season. (The Herald), external

Celtic captain Callum McGregor is encouraged by the fact that transfer target Adam Idah remains part of the Scottish champions' player WhatsApp group since his loan spell in Glasgow from Norwich City. (The National), external

Paulo Bernardo, the 22-year-old midfielder who was on loan to Celtic last season, was undergoing a medical examination on Tuesday night before completing his £3.4m permanent move from Benfica. (Daily Mail), external

Celtic are interested in a loan for Southampton 20-year-old Shea Charles but do not want to include him in a deal for fellow midfielder Matt O’Riley, who is a target for the English Premier League club. (Daily Record), external

Wolverhampton Wanderers are not interested in letting 21-year-old Hugo Bueno leave the club at this stage of the window, with Celtic one of a number of clubs who have made an approach to take the left-back on loan. (Anthony Joseph on X), external

Aberdeen have rejected a £3m offer from Spanish club Espanyol for Celtic-linked striker Bojan Miovski, while Italian clubs Bologna and Genoa have also been speaking to the 25-year-old North Macedonia international's representatives. (Daily Mail), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Celtic are "too busy trying to demand the very best of each other" to pay any attention to Rangers' problematic pre-season, says captain Callum McGregor.

Fans of the Ibrox side have become discontent throughout the summer following the news of their temporary relocation to Hampden, as well as their transfer activity and disjointed friendly displays.

Despite being yet to sign an outfield player, Brendan Rodgers' men impressed in their summer tour of the United States, putting four goals past DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea in three straight wins.

However, McGregor dismissed any notion that Celtic have gained a pre-season boost from the perception that their city rivals are ill-equipped for the start of the campaign.

"Nah, it's not something we've spoken about or looked at," the Scotland midfielder said.

"We have our own set of problems and challenges that we have to face in order to get better as a club and as a squad of players.

"We're too busy trying to demand the very best of each other and what will be will be.

"We're trying to control all the things that we can control, and push and demand as much as we can from the players."

McGregor says the Celtic squad has "a real good core" that they will look to "build on" this season.

And on the impressive wins over Premier League duo City and Chelsea, the captain added: "The way we've played in the last two games, especially against so-called big teams, gives us a lot of confidence.

"But we know once you get into the real stuff, the competitive edge kicks in and the pre-season stuff doesn't really matter at that point."

Tino
Fan writer

It’s now almost ten weeks since Adan Idah wrote himself into the Celtic history books with his last-minute Scottish Cup winner at Hampden, but that’s more than enough time without competitive Celtic action.

And while Idah is highly unlikely to be lining up against Kilmarnock on Sunday – nor any other new outfield signings by the looks of it – the excitement is building among fans ahead of another new campaign.

A Premiership and Scottish Cup double in his first season back at the helm was a welcome return under Brendan Rodgers, and despite some questions about his desire in the early half of the campaign, the Northern Irishman showed all his credentials in the closing few months of the season.

However, that was then and this is now, and after a highly successful pre-season camp in the US the manager, his players, and us as fans can now look ahead with optimism to what should be another exciting season.

The league as always will remain the priority, with the team now going for title number 55, but the new Champions League format too is one that brings its own brand of excitement, and we can also look forward to the group-stage draw at the end of August.

The lack of new signings is of course a cause for some concern, and quality additions are required if we’re to compete on all fronts, but I’ll keep my powder dry on that situation until nearer the close of the window.

In the meantime however Rodgers continues to do what he does best by developing his players on the training pitch, and signs from the US are that we could be set for a big season from the likes of Reo Hatate, Kyogo and Nicholas Kuhn among others.

Matt O’Riley too continues to excel, but if Atalanta, Southampton or any other interested parties decide to get serious then we can prepare to say our farewells to a player who’s impressed significantly during his time in green and white.

As with any departure, the challenge would then be for the next Celtic hero to emerge to take us into 2025 and beyond.

It’s time to do it all over again.

• Predicted league finish: Premiership Champions

• Standout player will be: Reo Hatate

• Game most looking forward to: Opening Champions League game at Celtic Park

Tino can be found on The Celtic Exchange, external.

Southampton's Shea Charles has emerged as Celtic's latest signing target, but it is not clear whether the move for the 20-year-old Northern Ireland international would be part of a deal for fellow midfielder Matt O’Riley to go the other way or if it would be a standalone approach. (Scottish Sun), external

Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley is on a list of Juventus "alternatives" if they fail to land Atalanta's Teun Koopmeiners, with the two clubs struggling to agree an acceptable price despite the Dutchman agreeing personal terms. (La Stampa via JuventusNews24), external

Adam Idah is in Austria with Norwich City despite reports that the striker had been left out of the club's pre-season trip pending a potential return to Celtic for the 23-year-old. (Football Scotland), external

Celtic may face competition from Fiorentina and Hellas Verona for Norwich City forward Adam Idah, who was on loan to the Scottish champions last season. (Team Talk), external

Wolverhampton Wanderers are concerned that 21-year-old left-back Hugo Bueno will not be given enough game time should he join Celtic on loan considering the Scottish champions are in negotiations to extend Scotland international Greg Taylor's contract. (Football Insider), external

Unwanted Celtic centre-half Gustaf Lagerbielke could clinch a move to Serie A, with Verona and Parma interested in the Swedish 24-year-old. (Glasgow Times), external

Paulo Bernardo's £3.5m transfer from Benfica to Celtic is expected to be agreed this week after the 22-year-old midfielder agreed personal terms to return to the club where he spent last season on loan. (Football Insider), external

Columbus Crew have rejected more than one offer from a Scottish club for 21-year-old Canada striker Jacen Russell-Rowe, with Celtic fans suspecting it is the Premiership champions. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Ex-Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believes his former side "can only be favourites" to retain the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership title.

Despite being yet to sign an outfield player this transfer window, Allan has been impressed with the pre-season performances of Brendan Rodgers' side.

While Allan feels city rivals Rangers have become weaker and "not looked fluent at all" throughout the summer, the former Hibs and Dundee man believes Celtic are clicking into gear.

During their tour of the United States, Rodgers' men put four goals past DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea in a trio of friendly wins.

The reigning Premiership champions, who are bidding to win a fourth straight title this season, kick off their competitive campaign with the visit of Kilmarnock on Sunday.

"I definitely think Celtic are the team to beat," Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think Rangers as a squad are in a worse place now than they were at the end of last season, while Celtic seem to be motoring and will look to add as well.

"You look at their squad harmony and their play in the pre-season games against top clubs. You can look at they games how you want to, but they are free-flowing and scoring goals."

Leicester City are weighing up a big-money offer for Celtic’s 26-year-old Japan midfielder Reo Hatate. (Daily Mail)

Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley is willing to wait for Atalanta to increase their bid in preference to moving to Southampton despite offers so far falling far short of the Scottish champions' valuation of the 23-year-old. (Tuttomercato)

Brendan Rodgers admits that Gustaf Lagerbielke is set for a Celtic exit in the summer window, 12 months after the 24-year-old centre-half's £3m arrival from Elfsborg. (Daily Record)

Tanner Tessmann's agent Andrea D'Amico has conceded that Venezia's asking price may scare off suitors amid interest from Celtic after Inter Milan pulled out of a deal for the 22-year-old United States midfielder. (Radio Bruno via Daily Record)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

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Brendan Rodgers insisted Celtic have had the best pre-season possible as they rounded off their US summer tour with a 4-1 win over Chelsea.

The victory followed a 4-3 triumph over English Premier League champions Manchester City, and a 4-0 thumping of DC United.

"We still have another good week’s work before we arrive into there but this preparation phase over the last 12 days has gone as well as it possibly could have done," Rodgers told Celtic TV.

"Players looking sharp, looking fit, looking intense, and then the quality of the football to score the goals. We have scored 12 goals in three games and two of those against really high-quality opponents.

"We are in a really good place. Now, get back safely and prepare for flag day."

It was a full-strength Chelsea side that Celtic came up against in Indiana but goals from Matt O'Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi had them 2-0 up at half-time before further strikes from Luis Palma and Mikey Johnston.

"I know that big teams don’t want to lose games whether it’s pre-season or not," Rodgers added.

"In the performances we had what you’d want from a top team – we had structure, talent in the team and then you have work.

"Across the board I am really, really happy with the performances. And with the younger guys coming into the game there was no difference, they pressed the game, they harassed the opponent and then showed their quality when we had the ball."

Manager Brendan Rodgers is sweating on an injury to Daizen Maeda after the Japan forward was substituted early in Celtic's friendly against Chelsea following a first-half clash with Reece James. (Scottish Sun)

Leicester City are one of several clubs interested in signing ex-Celtic forward Ben Doak from Liverpool either on loan or permanently. (Sunday Mail)

Read the rest of Sunday's gossip.

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Celtic continued their impressive pre-season with a 4-1 humbling of Chelsea in their pre-season friendly in Indiana.

Having beaten English champions Manchester City 4-3 on Wednesday, they claimed another Premier League scalp in their final warm-up before their Scottish Premiership opener against Kilmarnock on Sunday, 4 August.

Matt O'Riley, for whom Celtic reportedly have rejected summer bids from Atalanta and Southampton, opened the scoring after 19 minutes at Notre Dame Stadium after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had saved from Rio Hatate.

After Sanchez denied Kyogo Furuhashi, Denmark midfielder O'Riley set up the Japan striker for the second just after the half-hour mark.

Louis Palma added the third after 76 minutes after a mix-up involving Sanchez and centre-half Benoit Badiashile.

Palma then set up fellow winger Mikey Johnston to slide the fourth under Sanchez before Chelsea replied through forward Christopher Nkunku's 89th-minute spot-kick.