Celtic's interim manager John Kennedy says predecessor Neil Lennon got in touch this morning to wish him and the squad well for his first match in charge.

"The beginning of the week was toughest, dealing with the news of Neil departing," Kennedy tells BBC Sportsound.

"I need to keep everyone calm - that's the important thing because with emotion comes a lot of stress and strain and we don't want to come into today with no energy left. We had to address that and draw a line under it.

"I have sensed a real desire from the players to prove to the doubters we are better than we have shown this season. There is a real togetherness and in the last three days the players have been superb."

On handing striker Patryk Klimala a chance to impress in attack, Kennedy adds "He hasn't played a lot of minutes but has progressed and is ready to go.

"At times this year we've lacked speed at the top end, so he will give us something different."

Image source, SNS

Speaking to the club's social channel, Dundee United manager Micky Mellon is urging his side to make this season one to remember by finishing in the top six this season.

"The question that now is on us is can we seal the deal and get into the top six, because that is exactly what a top six player would do," he says. "We have to go and attack that and go and show we can be that. At the end of these next games we will know if that has happened or if there is a lot more work to do."

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin freshens up his starting line-up with three changes from Wednesday's drab stalemate with Motherwell.

Lee Erwin, Kyle McAllister and Dylan Connolly all start, with Richard Tait, Cammy MacPherson and Jon Obika dropping to the bench.

Ross County make two changes from Sunday's shock 1-0 win over Celtic.

Callum Morris injured his hamstring in that game and misses out, while fellow defender Alex Iacovitti drops to the bench. Leo Hjelde - who couldn't play against his parent club Celtic - and Keith Watson are the replacements.

Josh Doig scored his first senior goal in Hibernian's 2-0 defeat of Hamilton last weekend and signed a new long-term contract yesterday but the 18-year-old left wing-back misses out today with what the club are describing as a "slight knock". The experienced Lewis Stevenson takes over in the only change for head coach Jack Ross.

With a very long injury list at Fir Park, there are no changes for Motherwell following the midweek 0-0 draw with St Mirren, which was a markedly improved performance on last weekend's home defeat by St Johnstone.

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Kilmarnock make no fewer than five changes, with former Rangers and Hearts striker Kyle Lafferty making his first start.

Zech Medley, Rory McKenzie, Alan Power, Greg Kiltie also come in, with Dikamona, Burke, Mulumbu, Dabo and Kabamba dropping out for the hosts.

Dundee United make two changes from the side that lost 4-1 at Ibrox. Nicky Clark and Louis Appere drop to the bench and Marc McNulty and Adrian Sporle come in for Micky Mellon's side, who are looking to make it back-to-back wins on the road.

Interim Celtic manager John Kennedy shakes things up for his first game in charge by handing Polish striker Patryk Klimala a first league start since a home derby defeat to Rangers in October.

Also returning to the starting line-up is left-back Diego Laxalt as Greg Taylor, who came off injured against Ross County in Neil Lennon's final match, and Tom Rogic drop out.

Aberdeen's former Celtic winger Jonny Hayes replaces injured striker Fraser Hornby in the visitors' only change from last weekend's 1-0 win over Kilmarnock.

Callum Hendry again has to make do with a place on the bench despite ending the Dons' six-game goal drought in that victory.

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James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Radio Scotland

Martin Boyle has been flourishing in a central role of late. Often used wide on the right, the speedy Aussie international has knocked in five goals during his side's four-game winning run.

It could have been better if his penalty against Hamilton Accies last weekend hadn't been saved.

Will he be on spot-kick duty again today if Hibs get one?

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Is this Lawrence Shankland practicing his goal celebration at Rugby Park?

The Dundee United striker has seven goals for the season, with three in his last three appearances after a double against Livingston a fortnight ago.

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Kilmarnock: Doyle; Millen, Broadfoot, Medley, Haunstrup; Power, Dicker, McKenzie, Pinnock, Kiltie; Lafferty.

substitutes: Rogers; McGowan, Rossi, Waters, Mulumbu, Tshbola, Burke, Kabamba, Oakley.

Dundee United: Siegrist; L.Smith, Edwards, Reynolds, Robson; Butcher, Sporle, Harkes, Fuchs; McNulty; Shankland.

substitutes: Deniz, Connolly, Clark, Hoti, Chalmers, Bolton, Appere, Neilson, K.Smith.

"The players know we are not in a false position," Kilmarnock manager Tommy Wright tells the club's social channel. "We have not played well enough over the 30 games played. You have to focus on the next game and to be positive to try and win that game."

Wright has lost his first three matches; all by a 1-0 margin, taking the Ayrshire club's losing run to eight.

Aberdeen are back at Celtic Park just 10 days after a 1-0 defeat at the same venue.

Aberdeen have lost 28 of their last 30 league visits to Celtic (W1 D1), although have avoided defeat in two of their last five such trips (W1 D1 L3).

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Celtic: Bain, Kenny, Ajer, Welsh, Laxalt, McGregor, Brown, Christie, Turnbull, Klimala, Edouard.

Substitutes: Hazard, Duffy, Griffiths, Ajeti, Soro, Elyounoussi, Henderson, Montgomery, Ralston.

Aberdeen: Lewis, Hoban, Considine, Taylor, McLennan, McCrorie, Ferguson, Campbell, Hayes, McGinn, Kamberi.

Substitutes: Woods, Logan, Hendry, McGeouch, Ross, Virtanen, MacKenzie, Kennedy, Duncan.

St Mirren: Alnwick, Shaughnessy, McGrath, McCarthy, Fraser, Doyle-Hayes, Erhahon, McAllister, Durmus,, Connolly, Erwin.

Substitutes: Lyness, Tait, Finlayson, Flynn, MacPherson, Henderson, Jamieson, Quaner, Obika.

Ross County: Laidlaw, Naismith, Watson, Hjelde, Tremarco, Kelly, Lakin, Spittal, Gardyne, Andreu, White.

Substitutes: Draper, McKay, Shaw, Hylton, Iacovitti, Tillson, Paton, Donaldson, Hilton.

Hibernian: Marciano, P McGinn, McGregor, Hanlon, Cadden, Irvine, Newell, Stevenson, Murphy, Boyle, Doidge.

Substitutes: Macey, Gray, Porteous, Gogic, Wright, Hallberg, Allan, Bradley, Nisbet.

Motherwell: Kelly, O'Donnell, Magloire, Lamie, Carroll, Maguire, Campbell, Crawford, Roberts, Cole, Watt.

Substitutes: Morrison, McGinley, Devine, Gallagher, Polworth, Cornelius, Lawless, Hastie, Long.

The Premiership's split is almost upon us... Most teams have played 30 games and the league divides into two after 33.

St Mirren are in pole position for the final place in the top half, but Dundee United and St Johnstone are breathing down their necks.

A win for the Buddies today would be a big step in the right direction for Jim Goodwin's side.

We've got four games in the Championship too since leaders Hearts were held to a 1-1 draw at Inverness Caley Thistle last night.

That's three draws in a row for Robbie Neilson's men but no one is really applying any pressure in a cutthroat division.

Good afternoon. Just the four Scottish Premiership matches this weekend since we have the League Cup final tomorrow.

John Kennedy begins his stint as interim manager at Celtic following Neil Lennon's departure and the scrap to avoid relegation is really heating up.

We'll have the team news shortly and stay with us as all of the action unfolds.