Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer on Sportsound

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

It's a big day for Keith Lasley. The former Motherwell midfielder takes charge of the side for the first time after stepping up from assistant to caretaker after Stephen Robinson's midweek exit.

Image source, SNS

Hibernian make four changes following Wednesday's 2-0 home defeat by Ross County.

Ofir Marciano replaces Dillon Barnes in goal, Lewis Stevenson is back at left-back in place of Josh Doig and Alex Gogic and Stevie Mallan return to the midfield with Melker Hallberg and Drey Wright joining Barnes and Doig on the bench.

Livingston have not played since Boxing Day after Wednesday's match with Averdeen was postponed.

They three changes with Ciaron Brown and Efe Ambrose replacing Jullien Serrano and Jack Fitzwater in defence and Scott Robinson taking over from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas up front. Serrano and Emmanuel-Thomas are on the bench.

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer makes three changes from Wednesday night, despite the win over Motherwell being their second win in 10 games.

New signing Diaguely Dabo begins on the bench. Into the starting XI come Brandon Haunstrup, Youssouf Mulumbu and Chris Burke.

Calum Waters is out of the squad for the home side, while Aaron Tshibola and Mitchell Pinnock drop to the bench.

No changes for St Mirren, though, who keep the same team who lost 2-0 to Rangers.

Accies head coach Brian Rice makes only one alteration to the side that drew away to St Johnstone in midweek, with fit-again Ross Callachan returning to midfield in place of Nathan Thomas, who is missing from the squad.

Motherwell caretaker manager Keith Lasley makes four changes from the team that lost at home to Kilmarnock in midweek to spell the end of Stephen Robinson's spell in charge.

Goalkeeper Trevor Carson has not recovered from the knee injury that forced him off at Fir Park and his replacement against Kilmarnock, Aaron Chapman, starts this time. Peter Morrison has been recalled from his loan with Falkirk and the 22-year-old is on the bench.

Bevis Mugabi and Jake Carroll are restored to the defence, with on-loan Rangers winger Jake Hastie also given a start. Ricki Lamie and the suspended Mark O'Hara miss out and Robbie Crawford drops to the bench.

The ground staff at Easter Road have had their work cut out after a frosty start to 2021.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Midfielder Ross McCrorie is available again after being suspended for the Boxing Day win against St Johnstone, he replaces Dean Campbell in Aberdeen's midfield. Niall McGinn also comes in to the XI, with Sam Cosgrove on the bench.

Micky Mellon makes just one change from the 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park. Marc McNulty is out of the squad and Louis Appere starts in his place.

Greenock Morton have confirmed that one first-team player has tested positive for Covid-19 and that two others are self-isolating as a precautionary measure.

All three will miss today's Scottish Championship game with Alloa Athletic.

Meanwhile, Hearts have also revealed that one of their players has returned a positive result and will miss their game at Dundee this evening.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland

In terms of their league campaigns, Aberdeen and Dundee United will both be pretty happy with their lot so far.

The Dons – who have lost just one of their last 13 Premiership games - go into this afternoon’s clash between the sides as the current occupiers of third spot.

United, who are fifth, know a positive result would further reinforce their already legitimate top six credentials.

However, if they are to achieve that desired objective in the Granite City they will have to do something they haven’t managed in the league since the 15th of August – win on the road.

Aberdeen: Lewis, Kennedy, Hoban, Taylor, Considine, Hayes, Ferguson, McCrorie, Hedges, McGinn, Main.

Substitutes: Woods, Logan, Ojo, Cosgrove, Campbell, Wright, Edmondson, Ngwenya, Duncan.

Dundee United: Siegrist, L Smith, Connolly, Edwards, Reynolds, Robson, Harkes, Appere, Pawlett, Clark, Shankland.

Substitutes: Deniz, Sporle, Powers, McMullan, Bolton, Fotheringham, Davidson, Neilson, K Smith.

Hamilton Academical: Gourlay, Odoffin, McMann, Stirling, Easton, Hodson, Hamilton, A Martin, Callachan, Winter, Mayo.

Substitutes: Scully, Trafford, Hughes, Stanger, Mimnaugh, Munro, C Smith, Owolabi, Johnson.

Motherwell: Chapman, O'Donnell, Gallagher, Mugabi, Grimshaw, Carroll, Polworth, Campbell, Hastie, Cole, Watt.

Substitutes: Morrison, McGinlay, Crawford, White, Maguire, Seedorf, Devine, Cornelius, Johnston.

Hibernian: Marciano, P McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Stevenson, Gogic, Boyle, Newell, Mallan, Doidge, Nisbet.

Substitutes: Barnes, Gray, McGregor, Doig, Hallberg, S McGinn, Wright, Murphy, Gullan.

Livingston: Stryjek, Brown, Ambrose, Guthrie, Devlin, Bartley, Holt, Sibbald, Pittman, Mullin, Robinson.

Substitutes: McCrorie, McMillan, Serrano, Pignatiello, Taylor-Sinclair, Lawson, Forrest, Emmanuel-Thomas.

Kilmarnock: Rogers, McGowan, Broadfoot, Findlay, Haunstrup, Power, Mulumbu, Kiltie, Burke, McKenzie, Whitehall.

Substitutes: Doyle, Dikamona, Taylor, Dabo, Tshibola, Pinnock, Kabamba.

St Mirren: Alnwick, Tait, Mason, Shaughnessy, McCarthy, Doyle-Hayes, McGrath, Connolly, Fraser, Erhahon, Obika.

Substitutes: Lyness, Finlayson, Flynn, Foley, MacPherson, McAllister, Jamieson, Dennis, Erwin.

Ross County: Laidlaw, Naismith, Watson, Donaldson, Lakin, Draper, Vigurs, Kelly, Paton, Hylton, Shaw.

Substitutes: Doohan, Randall, Gardyne, Mckay, Tillson, Reid, Wright, Williamson, Mackinnon.

St Johnstone: Clark, Rooney, Gordon, McCart, McNamara, McCann, Booth, Davidson, Conway, O'Halloran, Kane

Substitutes: Parish, Tanser, Wotherspoon, Bryson, May, Melamed, Hendry, Craig.

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer on Sportsound

Rangers move a colossal 19 points clear at the top of the Premiership.

A moment of madness from the red-carded Nir Bitton was quickly followed by a Callum McGregor own goal as the visitors paid for not making their first-half pressure count.

Three derby wins on the trot for Steven Gerrard's side.

Is the title race over on 2 January?

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

One last chance for Celtic? No, a great pass from Tom Rogic gets caught under the feet of Odsonne Edouard and Connor Goldson hoofs the ball away.

The hosts eat up a few seconds, bringing on Brandon Barker for Joe Aribo.