The visitors are hogging the ball as Hamilton drop deep to defend their penalty box. A couple of early crosses are repelled in slightly nervous fashion.

Referee Craig Thomson toots his whistle and we're off.

The teams are out, Celtic wearing their luminous yellow change kit. Not long to go now...

In case this preamble is making overly gloomy reading for Hamilton fans, it should be remembered that they have had recent success against Celtic.

Ali Crawford banged in the only goal of the game at Celtic Park in October 2014, a result that sent the visitors top of the league. 

What a night that must have been for the Accies faithful!

Image source, SNS

"We've picked up since that disappointing night (the 8-1 loss at Celtic Park) and we need to make sure that doesn't happen again. We know the difference in resources is night and day but we'll go and compete, we will give it our all to go and win the game.

"There is so little in this league and three points can push us right up the table."

"We wanted to give Craig (Gordon) a rest, he has felt something in his knee. Nir (Bitton) is not feeling 100% and we wanted to see Scott Allan since he has played well recently. He was very positive the last time he came on."

While Celtic's top-scorer Griffiths has 32 goals for the season, Hamilton have managed 31 goals in the Premiership.

The hosts have hit the net just three times in their last six league games, while the last 19 outings have produced a mere two victories in all competitions.

To be fair, Hamilton responded pretty well to that horrible result at Celtic Park, keeping clean sheets in the three preceding games and picking up five points in the process.

That run was punctured last weekend as they lost 2-1 at 10-man Ross County.

Leigh Griffiths is a man in form, with five goals in his last four matches. Actually, the Celtic striker has been in form all season, with his tally at an impressive 32.

Four of those have come in two matches against Accies, with his only hat-trick of the campaign coming in that 8-1 drubbing last month.

Image source, SNS

Celtic's last visit to New Douglas Park was in October and the champions had to come from behind to win 2-1.

Gramoz Kurtaj opened the scoring after just four minutes that day but the visitors were ahead by half-time thanks to Griffiths and Dedryck Boyata.

The annual winter plastic pitch debate has been in full swing of late.

Celtic boss Ronny Deila got his oar in earlier this week, saying of the New Douglas Park surface: "It was slippy there.

"I have nothing against artificial pitches but it has to be good quality. I've seen different games there and there have been people slipping, and that's not positive for the football." 

A few talking points from the Celtic line-up, with goalkeeper Craig Gordon on the bench and Kris Commons making his first appearance since mid-January. There is also a first domestic start for midfielder Scott Allan, while Nir Bitton drops out altogether.

For the hosts, defender Mikey Devlin is in for the injured Jesus Garcia Tena.

Hamilton: McGovern, Gordon, Kurakins, Tagliapietra, Devlin, Imrie, Lyon, Crawford, Kurtaj, MacKinnon, Morris.

Subs: Martin, Gillespie, Diaby, D'Acol, Brophy, Docherty, Mandiangu.

Celtic: Bailly; Lustig, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Tierney; Brown, Johansen; Mackay-Steven, Commons, Allan; Griffiths.

Subs: Gordon, Mulgrew, McGregor,Kazim-Richards, Roberts, Armstrong, Christie.

A Celtic win in North Lanarkshire tonight will lift the Premiership leaders nine points clear of nearest rivals Aberdeen, who play tomorrow.

It's all getting a bit twitchy for Hamilton, who are one point above the relegation play-off place.

"Nobody's dreading it. We're looking forward to it.

"When you've played in a game like that, you want to get back out there and put it right."

That was Hamilton boss Martin Canning talking earlier this week about the prospect of facing Celtic again following last month's 8-1 mauling.