Rangers are under a bit of pressure here, with in-form St Mirren doing most of the attacking.

The Buddies are enjoying their best top-flight league start since 1988 and you can see why with the way they are passing the ball about confidently against the Premiership leaders.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at McDiarmid Park

This afternoon’s encounter ticks the ‘important’ box for all the wrong reasons for St Johnstone and Hamilton Academical.

Tenth-placed Saints, and 11th-top Accies, are desperate for some festive cheer, and will be hoping to get it in Perth.

The hosts have lost their last four league games, in fact they have only mustered one victory in their last nine Premiership encounters.

Given those statistics, it is unsurprising Callum Davidson’s side currently find themselves languishing precariously at the wrong end of the table.

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Accies may be used to swimming in the choppy waters of the Premiership relegation zone, but that doesn’t make their current predicament any less worrying.

A win this afternoon would move them level on points with their opponents, but a defeat, or even a draw, could see them drop to the foot of the table – depending on what the bottom spot’s current occupants, Ross County do in their game at Hibs later on.

Celtic are first to threaten as striker Odsonne Edouard darts into the box and gets a shot away that Benjamin Siegrist gathers at the second attempt.

Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Sportsound: "A wee bit gutted to be honest, because we've been working on the pitch since yesterday, about 9am yesterday morning, personally myself and wee Derek [White] and a couple of the other boys.

"We all muck in together here, but I was in, my eight-year-old daughter was in helping us last night as well. We had contractors until 1:45am this morning, and back in at 7:30am this morning. We kept in contact wtih Aberdeen and they were happy to travel knowing the game could be put off.

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"There's been a massive improvement on the park, but I think about 5% or 10% the referee felt wasn't safe, and to be honest, I've got to agree with him."

A positive start from the visitors here as Zander Clark denies Nathan Thomas from close range after the Accies forward skips through a couple a challenges on the edge of the box.

Almost an ideal start for St Mirren as they look to repeat that League Cup win over Rangers.

Steven Davis is robbed of the ball almost straight from kick-off by Jamie McGrath and the midfielder who scored twice that night fires a low drive from 25 yards that is held low down by goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

A reminder, you can listen to online-only commentary of the Premiership fixture at Celtic Park by clicking on the link on our home page, or within our live text commentary.

Three games at 15:00 in the Scottish Premiership. Here we go: goals please and plenty of them!

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park

Scottish football will pay tribute to Jim McLean, the man who effectively made Dundee United the club they are. His incredible achievements may never be matched but the club will hope they can put on a performance today befitting of the moment.

They face a tough task but appear to have intent with Nicky Clark, Lawrence Shankland and Marc McNulty all starting.

For Celtic, Vasilis Barkas returns with Neil Lennon publicly backing him as his number one. He is sure to come under scrutiny and needs a big 90 minutes ahead of the trip to Ibrox after this one.

St Mirren shocked Rangers in the wind and rain two weeks ago, but manager Jim Goodwin says today's calm conditions suit his side's style of play.

"The message has been the exact same," he tells BBC Scotland when asked about returning to the line-up that performed so well in the League Cup that night. "We worked hard in the build-up to that game, so it made sense and the guys who have come in should have great energy.

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"We're up against it. Rangers are the form team in the league, but our mindset is that we've done it before, we can do it again.

"Ryan Kent is a big player for them and we should be glad he's not playing, but I would suggest that this starting line-up is stronger than the one we played in the League Cup."

Dundee United assistant Stevie Frail is urging his side to pay tribute to Jim McLean by ending the club's 28-year wait for victory at Celtic Park.

McLean was in charge of United when they last won away to Celtic - in 1992 - and Frail tells BBC Scotland Sportsound: "We've spoken to the players and told them it's an honour and privilege to play at this club.

"Hopefully the sad passing of Mr McLean can give them that bit extra to get a result today."

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Lawrence Shankland, Marc McNulty and Nicky Clark all start for the visitors today and Frail adds: "We have three of the top strikers in the division and while there is an attacking mindset to this team there also has to be defensive discipline.

"Hopefully we can see both sides to that this afternoon."

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is aiming to rediscover his goalscoring form. Will the Colombian find the net this afternoon?

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St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson tells BBC Sportsound: "Every game is big. We're disappointed with the results past two or three games, but the performance against Aberdeen was excellent.

"I expect the same today. We need everyone to be in that fighting spirit.

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"I believe if we carry on doing what we are doing the results will come. It’s a bit of a strange season with our up and down form.

"Hopefully in the final third we can add that quality and put pressure on Hamilton."

On a potential 'circuit-breaker' in football: "If you take a break, when’s it going to end? We're managing OK just now. If cases start to rise in football it’s something we need to look at."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon says it's time for Vasilis Barkas to show his "quality and experience" and nail down a starting spot.

"We bought Vasilis to be number one," Lennon tells BBC Sportsound. "He's had a bit of a break and I want him back in now.

"Conor has done very well but it's still a fledgling time in his career and he is not quite ready yet to be number one here. With where we are in the season I need more experience.

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"Vasilis maybe hasn't shown what he's all about yet, but we're hoping that will come now."

Captain Scott Brown is on the bench for the third successive game and Lennon adds: "No player likes not starting, but he accepts the team is playing well. He played in the cup final and knows he will play as the season goes on."

If recent history is to be repeat itself today, we'll have a winner at McDiarmid Park.

None of the last 13 top-flight encounters between both sides have been drawn, with the Perth side winning 10 and Accies coming out on top three times since the last stalemate between the clubs back in September 2016.

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A win for the 10th-placed hosts would end a seven-game winless run in the league, who sit just three points above the visitors.

As for Hamilton, not only do they have the chance to move level on points with the Perth club, but they also have the opportunity to extend the gap between themselves at bottom club Ross County to four points, who face a tough test away to Hibernian later today.

Rangers assistant Gary McAllister insists his players will be fully focused on St Mirren rather than letting their thoughts drift to the 2 January visit by second-top city rivals Celtic.

But he said the busy festive fixture programme meant "we have to utilise the squad and try to rotate things while also being careful of not disrupting the rhythm that we're in".

"But we're aware that they're a team playing with a bit of confidence," he added. "We've done all our due diligence on St Mirren, we know their strengths, but we have to look at what we do on the day."

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Hamilton head coach Brian Rice tells BBC Sportsound: “It’s another big game for us. It’s a chance to go level on points with St Johnstone.

"I'm looking for a horrible, nasty, energetic performance. I want more of it today.

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"We’ve got two players back today [Nathan Thomas and Callum Smith] but we still have a lot out. The time now is for action on the pitch and the boys selected today know what they have to do."

Clubs will pay tribute this afternoon to the late former Dundee United manager Jim McLean, who died on Boxing Day, aged 83.

McLean guided United to the Scottish Premier Division title in 1982-83 after consecutive League Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980.

He also took the club to the European Cup semi-finals in 1983-84 and the Uefa Cup final three seasons later.

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