Aberdeen tear forward on the counter attack after Andrew Considine heads away a corner kick. Connor McLennan gets down the right and lashes a cross into the middle but Matty Kennedy can't add the finishing touch.

Early chance for the visitors who have started brightly as David Wotherpoon's cross finds Ali McCann in the box.

The midfielder feints, making a yard for himself, before hitting straight at Danny Rogers in the Killie goal.

And away we go.

Goals, please, and plenty of them...

Livingston drawn against Celtic twice during their 12-game unbeaten run, but manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland he believes today's game will be their hardest task.

He said: "It's massive for us. But we never beat Aberdeen so I've put a wee challenge to the boys. I think this is going to be our biggest test to date.

"We've got two back to back games with Aberdeen and at the end of Tuesday evening it'll give us a wee insight to where we are as a football club and where we want to go."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at BBSP Stadium

A win for either side here would be a significant boost and potentially nudge them positively up the table at a convenient time.

Alex Dyer referred to this as 'must win' and that reflects the time of season and their relative positions. It's so important. He has faced further issues with two players sidelined after positive Covid tests this week but will look for more in the final third than he got midweek.

St Johnstone have been rightly praised for some big moments this term and today is another. Defeat would be damaging and make the coming weeks a little less comfortable.

St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin says he has to protect his players during a hectic run of fixtures.

"Between now and the end of February we have nine games, which is quite incredible in such a short space of time," Goodwin, who has made four changes today, tells BBC Sportsound.

"As manager, I have to look after the group as best I can. I don't like to make too many changes, but we need to be sensible in the coming weeks and sometimes I'm led by the data from the sports scientists.

"I believe we have enough attacking threat in the team today. We have great pace in the wide areas and hopefully we can exploit the space left by Celtic's full-backs."

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Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland that Connor McLennan will begin as Aberdeen's striker today in the absence of Sam Cosgrove and Curtis Main, while Scott Wright being dropped from the team is simply to rest him.

He said: "Sam travelled down [to Birmingham] last night. Obviously the clubs had agreed a fee which allowed Sam to go down. It's not concluded but with the money involved we felt it was best he wasn't involved today.

"A couple of options I would liked to have brought in haven't materialised. It'll be a loan, obviously that restricts things but we've been working round the clock. We're trying and hope we can get something to land."

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Hibs head coach Jack Ross says his dropping of Kevin Nisbet and Ryan Porteous should not be read as a suggestion that the pair are about to be sold.

"I was quite candid yesterday in saying the offers received were not of the value we needed them to be," he tells BBC Scotland.

"I still think they will remain with us, but they are young men never mind footballers and it's been an unusual couple of days for them to be the subject of strong interest and the speculation and tension that goes around that.

"Then, as a manager, you have to make judgement calls about where they are at. We've got a busy schedule as well - we played Wednesday, we play Tuesday. They are ready to go if need be from the bench.

"It's not like we are not bringing good players into the team."

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Speaking to BBC Sportsound, Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer has been discussing the news that broke yesterday about two coronavirus cases at the club.

“There’s no wider impact,” says Dyer.

“The club have put out a statement and everyone involved is being looked after. We are following the right protocols.

“We’re doing the right things all the time. We can’t help if someone gets Covid, it’s just the way it is.”

On the game today: “Both games this year have been really close. It’s a game we must win today. I believe that.

"If they beat us they go above us. If we win it keeps us around the little group where everyone is. We’re at home and we want to put on a good performance.”

Celtic manager Neil Lennon says he has yet to meet incoming chief executive Dominic McKay, who will replace Peter Lawwell at the end of the season.

"Peter has done a magnificent job in one of the most demanding roles in British football," Lennon tells BBC Scotland Sportsound.

"I don't know Dominic at all, I only became aware yesterday he would be stepping in."

With Celtic's title hopes looking doomed Lennon adds, "It's not on Peter to deliver 10 in a row, it's down to me and the players."

Scott Bain continues in goal, with Vasilis Barkas dropped, and Lennnon says of the Greece international: "His worth ethic can be better and he hasn't performed anywhere near the level we think he can.

"He understands my position on it and knows he hasn't done well enough."

Image source, sns

Hearts extended their lead at the top of the Championship to nine points with a big midweek win at Raith Rovers, who had stunned them at Tynecastle last weekend.

They host nearest challengers Dunfermline Athletic today, while third-placed Dundee are in Kirkcaldy.

Are either of those two capable of putting a run together or will the Jambos run away with for an immediate return to the top flight?

Image source, BBC Sport

Not long until kick-off time now... A wee reminder of how the Premiership table looks.

Celtic are a long, long way back. A win today would cut Rangers' lead to 20 points.

St Mirren are another side with a few games in hand and will fancy their chances breaking into the top six sometime soon after their thumping win at Tannadice on Wednesday.

Image source, BBC Sport

Aberdeen defender Tommie Hoban lasted just seven minutes of Wednesday's 0-0 draw with St Johnstone before a nasty head knock with a team-mate forced him off.

He recovers to start this afternoon's game, but is sporting a rather dashing headband to cover his stitches.

Image source, SNS

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Tannadice

In terms of their league positions, Dundee United and Hibernian have had decent seasons so far.

United are currently hanging on to a place in the top six, while the capital club are fourth and very much on the coattails of Aberdeen.

Despite all of the above though, both teams are going into this afternoon’s encounter looking to improve on poor recent runs.

United are still smarting after being thumped 5-1 at home to St Mirren last time out, a result which extended their winless run to six games.

As for Hibs, they may be flying high in the Premiership, but they have won just one of their last six league outings.

Both Micky Mellon and Jack Ross will be hoping this afternoon’s encounter can be the launch pad to get their sides moving in the right direction once again.

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Kilmarnock boss Alex Dyer makes three switches to the side that suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Livingston on Wednesday.

The injured Stuart Findlay makes way along with Aaron McGowan and Mitch Pinnock as Clevid Dikamona, Ross Millen and Nicke Kabamba come in. The hosts are also without two players with Covid-19.

As for the visitors, St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson also makes a trio of changes to his side that played out a goalless draw with Aberdeen in midweek.

Craig Bryson, Michael O’Halloran and Craig Conway all drop out the side in place of Ali McCann, David Wotherspoon and Guy Melamed.

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Benjamin Siegrist returns in goal for United after shaking off an injury, replacing Deniz Mehmet after that 5-1 drubbing at home to St Mirren last time out.

Calum Butcher and Jeando Fuchs are also fit again to return to midfield, with Americans Dillon Powers and Ian Harkes dropping to the bench. The latter will count himself unlucky considering his stunning goal against the Buddies.

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Hibs head coach Jack Ross had yesterday said he would assess Kevin Nisbet and Ryan Porteous' mindset after English Championship interest in the pair was rebuffed.

Well, striker Nisbet, who is wanted by Birmingham City, and centre-half Porteous, the subject of an approach from Millwall, find themselves among the replacements today.

Paul Hanlon returns to the defence, while wingers Martin Boyle and on-loan Jamie Murphy, who was ineligible to play in the 1-0 defeat by parent club Rangers, are also back in the team.

Melker Hallberg also drops to the bench, while fellow midfielder Joe Newell does not make the match-day squad despite returning to training after injury.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon goes with the same starting line-up from Wednesday's 2-0 win over Hamilton.

There is no place in the squad for skipper Scott Brown despite the 35-year-old's return from a one-match ban.

St Mirren, 5-1 winners at Dundee United in midweek, make four changes including front two Eamonn Brophy and Job Obika dropping to the bench.

Also among the subs are defender Richard Tait and midfielder Ryan Flynn.

Kyle McAllister, Cammy Macpherson, Dylan Connolly and striker Kristian Dennis are the players handed starts.

Image source, SNS