Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Watson, Mayo, Wright, Ndaba, Armstrong, Polworth, Lyons, Murray, Vassell, Wales.
Substitutes: O'Hara, Burroughs, McKenzie, Mackay-Steven, Magennis, Cameron, Anderson, Donnelly, Bainbridge.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Rubezic, MacDonald, MacKenzie, Heltne Nilsen, Shinnie, Duk, McGrath, Keskinen, Ambrose.
Substitutes: Doohan, Polvara, Nisbet, Clarkson, McGarry, Palaversa, Sokler, Morris, Molloy.
Kilmarnock have won their last three home league games against Aberdeen, this after being winless in 16 such meetings beforehand (D4 L12).
Aberdeen have lost more of their last six league meetings with Kilmarnock (4) than their previous 36 beforehand (3), although won their first such clash this season 2-0 in August.
Kilmarnock's Derek McInnes has only lost one of his seven managerial home league games against former side Aberdeen (W4 D2), going down 1-0 with St Johnstone in August 2010.
Kilmarnock have lost both of their last two Boxing Day games in the Scottish Premiership, this after winning four in a row on this day in the top flight prior.
Each of Aberdeen's last three Boxing Day league games have seen them win 2-1 since a 4-3 defeat to Celtic in 2018.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock remain without the suspended Robbie Deas, while Matty Kennedy (back) and Liam Donnelly (hamstring) are still doubts but Robby McCrorie should return. Stuart Findlay (ankle) is a long-term absentee.
Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov has returned to training after a hamstring problem. Vicente Besuijen (knee), Jack Milne (ankle) and Pape Habib Gueye (quad) are long-term absentees.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock manager Derek McInnes says his January transfer aims aren't confined to strengthening a threadbare defence.
With Robbie Deas suspended and fellow centre-back Stuart Findlay a long-term injury absentee, Killie played a back three in Friday's 1-1 draw against Motherwell, with winger Fraser Murray and midfielder Brad Lyons at full-back.
"I think for every manager, you look to try and bring some reinforcements in if we can, and maybe one or two of the lads look to move on and get some regular football as well, which is natural," said McInnes.
"January's such a difficult month, unless you've got bundles of cash to spend, which we don't, to improve your starting 11.
"But we'll certainly try and see if we can get some reinforcements in to help us. I think defensively, we were short in numbers, and it's an obvious area, but it's not the only area we'd like to strengthen if we could."
Deas remains suspended for the Boxing Day visit of Aberdeen but Killie will go into the game with confidence after bouncing back well from their 6-0 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox.
The Ayrshire side have since beaten Hearts - despite an early red card for Deas - and picked up a point at both Tannadice and Fir Park.
"The response has been terrific," McInnes said. "Two away points, two decent performances and a brilliant performance.
"So much was said about Hearts last week, about how bad Hearts were and how poor they were, and finger pointing, but I don't think there was enough said about how 10 men can play 90 minutes from scratch and still have enough to go and win."
Sandy Armour
Fan writer
A draw at Fir Park is more than acceptable, however the Friday night clash felt like a missed opportunity for Killie.
The first half was a turgid watch where we had absolutely no goal threat even with the majority of possession.
It seems obvious that using the three strikers doesn't work - it is square pegs in round holes again.
Marley Watkins went off injured, forcing a change that probably did us a favour as we introduced Bobby Wales and reverted to a more natural formation. We suddenly carried a goal threat and fully merited the point although we were also denied a stonewall penalty.
Danny Armstrong looked a bit more like his old self when he came on and gave us an extra spark on the right-hand side.
Kyle Vassell has been largely ineffective for us this season and I genuinely feel his game would benefit if he had a similar spell on the bench.
Next up is a misfiring Aberdeen on Boxing Day and we have nothing to fear on current form. Merry Christmas to Killie fans wherever you are.
Sandy Armour is editor of the Killie Hippo fanzine
Killie fans, we asked for your views on Friday night's 1-1 draw with Motherwell.
Here's what some of you had to say:
Stephen: No idea what game Derek McInnes was watching if he thought we were the better team throughout. We were awful in the first half - far too narrow and lacked any movement up front, it was so easy for 'Well to defend their lead and counter attack. Danny Armstrong and Bobby Wales made an instant difference and turned the game. The starting line-up and formation was baffling.
Frank: Silly defensive mistake for goal totally avoidable. Thought Kyle Vassell worked his socks off and had a couple of goal scoring opportunities. McInnes is looking for a formula up front with his strikers and looking at all his options. He will have plenty of opportunities to test them over the next few weeks. We will certainly be in the mix for the top six.
Kenny: We were the better team, but there wasn't much in it. A game where the poor refereeing will be remembered more than the football.
Jim: We are back to the same problem Marley Watkins and Vassell up front will not score for us. Both wasted chances to score. Vassell backs into players and gives fouls away, gets too many yellow cards and wastes the ball by losing it too many times. I am afraid we will linger in the relegation zone all season. Something needs to change!
Anon: Just because we play at Rugby Park doesn't mean we're playing rugby. We don't have to pass backwards all the time!
Scott: This was a match where all post-match talk is rightly dominated by comments around the incompetence of match officials. Despite that, we showed character and I feel we are on the cusp of change for our striking options. The old guard might be about to be retired with new blood taking over. Turn those chances into goals with Bobby Wales up front.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock attempted 488 passes in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Premiership this season.
Kilmarnock are undefeated in their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 1 September 2024 to 20 October 2024, a run of five games.
Kilmarnock have won 12 points from losing positions in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.
Highlights: Motherwell 1-1 Kilmarnock
Watch highlights and Dan Casey's controversial red card as Kilmarnock draw at Motherwell. (UK only)
Match report: Motherwell 1-1 Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock extended their unbeaten run to three Scottish Premiership matches as they came from behind to earn a draw against Motherwell, who controversially had Dan Casey sent off.
Liam Polworth got the equaliser, his first goal in two years, as Derek McInnes' side produced a stirring second half to counter Liam Gordon's first-half opener.
Their cause was aided when Casey was given a straight red three minutes after Polworth's goal following an altercation with Danny Armstrong.
Referee Chris Graham indicated Casey had grabbed Armstrong towards the throat, and stuck with his original call despite being called to the monitor to review the incident by referee David Dickinson.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "We were the better team throughout. We were the better team in the first half and the goal went against the run of play.
"It's such an untidy, scrappy goal and we had it all to do. Our response was good though. Second-half, we worked down the sides a lot more, played in their half more, had more vigour about us.
"We deservedly got our equaliser. We had the best opportunities in the second half. The old adage about a point in the road, coming from behind, there's plenty of positives - but the performance on the day would have won us all three points on another day.
"We needed to show more composure. It's a hard-fought point but we are a bit disappointed not to take all three points.
"It continues the vain of the last two or three games where we look more like ourselves. There's plenty of positives."
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSDerek McInnes will no doubt be really frustrated by this one. At one stage his side looked short of ideas. But late on they looked more than capable of all three points.
They enjoyed a lot of possession but it took half an hour to test Aston Oxborough in goal. They lacked fluency until improving in the second half and eventually found a way through.
What is impressive is their resilience and ability to adapt. They found a solution but couldn't quite turn the game around fully.
The stop-start nature of the match did not help with lots of fouls slowing down play.
A victory would have moved them closer to the top six, but a point and extending their unbeaten run will have to do with Aberdeen at home to come on Boxing Day.
Image source, SNSLiam Polworth is hoping to keep his place in the Kilmarnock midfield for tonight's trip to face his former club Motherwell.
The midfielder signed a new two-year contract in June, but has been on the bench for most of the season following his return from a calf injury.
Polworth, 30, has started the Rugby Park outfit's last two matches and is hopeful of ending a goal drought that stretches back to a strike at Fir Park in a 2-2 draw almost two years ago.
"We know how competitive it is, especially in the middle of the park, so there's a lot of boys trying to get into the same sort of positions but obviously once you get your shot, you hope to keep your place in the team," he said.
"You're happy as long as you're playing. In the end obviously I was delighted to stay at Kilmarnock. It was more to do with the length of time that I wanted to stay here, so in the end when that got sorted it was no big deal.
"I enjoy my time here, my family like it, so it's all good.
"Motherwell have had a decent season so far and they're ahead of us in the league. We're looking at them as one of the teams to try and claw them back but we just need to take it game by game and hopefully we'll get there."
Image source, SNSLoan striker Tony Watt returns to the Motherwell squad after being unable to play against parent club Dundee United last weekend.
Ross Callachan (hamstring), Paul McGinn (thigh), Callum Slattery (knee), Jack Vale (calf) and Zach Robinson (Achilles) remain out.
Kilmarnock are without the suspended Robbie Deas, while Matty Kennedy remains an injury doubt after missing out against Hearts. Kyle Magennis is set to return after sitting out that game with a bug.
Kieron O'Hara could continue between in goal after Robby McCrorie was forced to be replaced against the Jambos at half-time with an injury. Skipper Kyle Vassell returns after missing the Hearts game as his partner was in labour.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has challenged his players to build on their hard-fought win over Hearts when they take on Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Friday.
The Rugby Park side won 1-0 last time out, despite playing for 90 minutes with 10 players after Robbie Deas was sent off.
They now sit eighth in the table, eight points behind fourth-placed Motherwell, who they are yet to play in the league this season.
"Motherwell are going well again," McInnes said. "They had a wee dip but they've now had two wins in a row.
"Any team that can win two games in a row get a clear benefit in the league table and Motherwell are an example of that.
"They are a team we haven't played in the league yet this season and it gives us an opportunity to try and build on the win over Hearts.
"The run of fixtures which takes us to 8 January when we play Motherwell again has three home games in that period.
"But it's also incumbent on us to pick up points away from home. We've got some good points on the road so far, including our last away game at Tannadice.
"We just need to go and put on a performance which gets something from the game. Hopefully we can."
McInnes also defended the "unpopular" decision to substitute young striker Bobby Wales after Deas' red card in the victory over Hearts.
"Sometimes you've got to make unpopular decisions," he added. "Everyone is bursting to see a bit more of Bobby.
"We thought it would be a good game for Bobby to start, being at home. We had spoken about him playing a certain role and having that impact for us making runs beyond.
"Of course he was disappointed at coming off so early. But the team is always more important than any individual."
Image source, SNSMotherwell have only lost one of their last six league meetings with Kilmarnock (W2 D3), a 0-1 defeat in November 2023.
Kilmarnock are winless in five league visits to Motherwell (D2 L3) since a 2-0 victory in December 2020 under Alex Dyer.
Motherwell have won both of their last two league games, but haven't won three on the bounce since September 2023; this is the sixth time since then that they have won back-to-back Scottish Premiership matches.
Despite playing the most away games of any side in the Scottish Premiership this season, Kilmarnock are one of three sides yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels (also Hearts and St. Mirren). Killie have conceded a league-high 24 away goals in the top-flight in 2024-25.
Kilmarnock are winless in their last nine Scottish Premiership games played on a Friday (D3 L6), with their last such win coming in October 2014 against Dundee United (2-0). Away from home, their last top-flight win on this day of the week was on New Year's Day 1999 - which was against Motherwell (2-1).
Sandy Armour
Fan writer
Football fans are rightly accused of being fickle. However, if we see our team showing desire, character and busting a gut every week then we're generally happy.
All those traits were shown in bundles as Killie secured a superb victory over an underperforming Hearts team.
Following the very early Robbie Deas red card every single player stepped up to the plate to earn a very welcome and badly-needed three points.
The games now come thick and fast over the festive period and hopefully the win starts a run that catapults us up the table.
Bobby Wales was unlucky to be hooked in the wake of the red card but he'll get plenty of game time in the coming weeks.
Next up it's Motherwell on Friday night and with a growing injury list, and Deas suspended, the squad is getting stretched to the limit.
Fir Park is not a happy hunting ground for Killie, however, it's time for us to put a sequence of wins together on the back of beating Hearts.
Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine
Watch Sportscene analysis of Robbie Deas' red card in Kilmarnock's win against Hearts
Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter
Joe Wright: A colossal defensive display from Wright who also won the crucial penalty as 10 man Killie defeated Hearts.
We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 1-0 win against Hearts.
Here's what some of you said:
James: Thought Joe Wright had his best performance for Killie against Hearts, player of the match for me, although everyone else upped their game after sending off. A better result than the win against Rangers.
Wolfgang: I'm both angry and proud, it's a weird feeling! On the one hand, another deserved red card which is pretty unforgivable, but on the other hand, we were the better side and the defence was spot on. Derek McInnes' tactics were spot on for sure.
Anon: Tremendous effort from the players and manager, nobody wanted to take Bobby Wales off but unfortunately, that's what had to be done. The booing at that time of the game was quite embarrassing. Support the team at all times, please.
Derek: Phenomenal team performance and a great result given the circumstances - but again, a completely reckless red card that could so easily have cost us points against better opposition. The contrast between yet another moment of individual madness, and the discipline and composure shown by the rest of the team is maddening. How do we get consistency?
Anon: Great performance from the lads but once again we are left to play the game with 10 men. Don't know the record for most red cards in a season but I think we are trying to beat it.
Watch highlights as Kilmarnock beat Hearts in the Scottish Premiership
