Ouch!published at 15:21 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2021

15:21 GMT 16 January 2021

St Johnstone 0-0 St Mirren

Nasty head knock here as Marcus Fraser and Ali McCann collide.

The St Johnstone man looks worse off and will need to be patched up and observed by the medical staff before he can come back on.

Andrew Considine has a free header in the box after an elaborate corner kick routine from Aberdeen. However, Ash Taylor is penalised for a needless shove.

Moments later, Sam Cosgrove has a sight of goal but sends a weak shot into the hands of goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.

Aberdeen are beginning to create chances in what has been an absorbing if scrappy game so far.

David Moyo passes low across the face of the Dundee United goal instead of shooting and Mark Connolly makes the clearance. The Hamilton forward would have been better served shooting from that position.

Callum McGregor lets fly from the edge of the box and the ball is inches too high with Livi keeper Max Stryjek helpless.

After a very shaky start Celtic are growing into the game and beginning to look a threat.

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Referee Greg Aitken takes a sore one in the face after getting in the way of a Hamilton pass. He crouches down to take a moment to himself but is quickly back to his feet.

Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland is having a laugh at his expense, signalling to the bench for a replacement.

The hosts are beginning to feel their way into this one as Shaun Rooney - playing at wing-back today - skips past Richard Tait with ease before whipping in a dangerous ball that evades everyone in the St Mirren box.

The first real sight of new Hibs signing Jackson Irvine is when the Australia midfielder lands on his backside trying to gather a long pass out of defence.

We'll give him the benefit of the doubt considering he is likely to be ring rusty, having not played since March, and the state of of the bobbly Easter Road pitch.

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Does it count as a effort on goal if the player doesn't know anything about it?

A neat pass from the left finds Aberdeen's Curtis Main, who is facing away from the ball. It bounces off him and goes just past the post.

It's all Livingston in the opening stages.

Big defender Jon Guthrie - who has three goals in his last five league games - meets a clearance flush on the volley at the edge of the box and isn't far away from finding the top corner.

Scott Robinson flashes a header wide moments later as the visitors keep up the pressure.

Bright start from the visitors as a Jamie McGrath volley from the edge of the area is driven into the ground.

The ball is going well wide, but Eamonn Brophy comes close to getting on the end of it.

Dundee United, wearing their rather fetching purple change kit, controlling possession in the opening minutes in South Lanarkshire.

Hamilton are fielding quite a few defenders today and some are playing out of position so it will be interesting to see how their formation works out.

Hibs are on the attack, but Paul McGinn's shot is straight at goalkeeper Danny Rogers.

The pitch at Easter Road looks absolutely appalling, like a couple of tractors have been joy riding on it.

Celtic coach Gavin Strachan, who again takes charge as Neil Lennon self-isolates, tells BBC Sportsound: "It's been challenging, but you just have to get on with it and that's what we've done this week.

"It's still challenging at the top end of the pitch. We've been working on a couple of things in training and hopefully that pays off today.

"Neil and John Kennedy have been pro-active in planning training and team selection."

Away we go.

Will goal celebrations be more muted today?

Guidance has been reissued to clubs this week stressing they "should be as limited and distanced as possible".

Just a wee while ago, Professor Jason Leitch told Off The Ball: "I understand the emotion, I understand it gets to you, but just hold back. Don't do the hugging if you can avoid it.

"The chances of getting the virus are a factor of contact and time, the more time you are in contact the more chances the virus has to jump.

"We have chosen to take a risk with football continuing and we should keep that risk as low as we can."

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Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer says it is "great news" that his club overturned the forfeit of a game postponed against Motherwell because of Covid-19 infections and welcomed the news that supporters were raising money to pay their remaining fine.

"I would just like to say thanks to the chairman and all the directors because they have stuck at it and spent a lot of money to prove that we are right," he said.

Explaining the reason why Mitchell Pinnock has replaced influential winger Chris Burke in his side against Hibs, he said: "I wanted to put an extra body in midfield, so we are going with three up front and three in midfield."

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St Mirren are boosted by yesterday's decision overturning their Covid breaches punishment, meaning they will be able to face Hamilton and Motherwell in rearranged fixtures rather than suffer 3-0 losses.

And the Paisley side's boss Jim Goodwin tells BBC Sportsound pre-match the decision is a “relief more than anything”.

"As a club we are really pleased," says Goodwin. "The majority of good football people all wanted this outcome.

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"I'm over the moon we get to play both Motherwell and Hamilton for those points. We held our hands up for things we could’ve done better. The only clubs that'll be slightly disappointed will be Hamilton and Motherwell.

"I think the rest of the league and the rest of the country, football club wise, will be satisfied with the outcome because what's happened to us could happen to anyone.

"The likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Man City, who have far bigger training facilities than we do, have also been affected. We don’t see the Premier League in England dragging them over the coals to investigate and punish them."

Livingston head coach David Martindale says his side's "objectives have changed" and they're out to add to Celtic's woes with a ninth straight victory.

"We're definitely coming here for three points, which is different from previous visits to Celtic Park where you have a focus more on trying not to lose," Martindale tells BBC Sportsound.

"I'm the one getting a wee pat on the back, but the players have to take massive credit.

"We're desperate to keep the momentum going. Celtic are at a disadvantage today, but they are still putting out a more than capable team, so we have to be right on our game."

Livingston have never won at Celtic Park in 20 years of trying...

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