After an impressive start to the season, the wheels have come off a bit for Caley Thistle, with Billy Dodds' side having won once in five games and losing 1-0 at home to Greenock Morton on Saturday.

Motherwell have had an up and down start to the season since Stevie Hammell replaced Graham Alexander as manager following the Europa Conference League qualifying defeat by Sligo Rovers and also tasted defeat on Saturday - away to Kilmarnock.

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Both sides come into this one on the back of heavy defeats, although the scale of United's 9-0 home thrashing by Celtic was not only the more humiliating but also had deeper ramifications with the sacking of Jack Ross as head coach.

Livingston's 5-0 loss to Aberdeen had much to do with defender Jack Fitzwater's first-half red card.

And, while David Martindale's side are looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat, United have now suffered five on the bounce and have conceded 23 goals in four since Livingston won at Tannadice in the Premiership at the start of the month.

Livingston are unbeaten in their latest four meetings - winning three in a row.

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Celtic have already won in Dingwall this season - 3-1 in the Premiership earlier this month - as they launch their 20th defence of the League Cup.

It was their third successive win there - and sixth overall - since County won 1-0 at home in February 2021.

Ange Postecoglou's side head north on the back of six straight victories and 10 without defeat in all competitions.

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While Celtic, Hearts, Dundee United and Motherwell start their League Cup campaign at this juncture because of their participation in European competition, their opponents tonight all had to qualify via the domestic group stage.

Kilmarnock scraped through as runners-up in theirs behind a Partick Thistle side they had headed only months earlier in winning the Championship title and promotion.

Ross County eased through as group winners, although all their opponents were from the third or fourth tier.

Caley Thistle also won their group, with Livingston also scraping through behind them on the final day.

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Aberdeen, Dundee, Partick Thistle and Rangers lie in wait after last night's ties.

There were no surprises other than the Dons being taken into extra time by plucky League 2 side Annan Athletic, while a second-string Rangers brushing off Queen of the South, Partick Thistle edging out Arbroath and fellow Championship side Dundee easing aside Falkirk.

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Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou tells BBC Sportsound: "It's always a risk [to make a lot of changes]. But I have a great deal of belief in the squad.

"We know we're going to have a lot of games. We don't want to overload players. Playing our football takes its toll.

"The most important game for us is tonight. It's a cup competition. Any slip-ups mean it's the end of the road."

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Both these sides shipped a combined 14 goals at the weekend without scoring, so it's no surprise changes have been made.

However, Livi boss David Martindale makes just one tweak from his side's 5-0 loss to Aberdeen. Forward Esmael Goncalves starts ahead of defender Jack Fitzwater, who was sent off in the weekend defeat.

United caretaker manager Liam Fox makes four changes from his side's humiliating 9-0 loss to Celtic.

Charlie Mulgrew and Aziz Behich begin in defence, Jamie McGrath shores up the midfield and Tony Watt starts up front.

Dropping out are Kieran Freeman, Scott McMann, Archie Meekison and Glenn Middleton.

Motherwell make three changes with on-loan Ipswich Town defender Matt Penney, midfielder Ross Tierney and forward Joseph Efford replacing Stephen O'Donnell, Dean Cornelius and Connor Shields.

It's a Well debut for Penney while O'Donnell, Cornelius and Shields make the bench.

Three changes also for Inverness Caledonian Thistle with defender Danny Devine, winger Daniel MacKay and midfielder Nathan Shaw coming in for Steven Boyd, Austin Samuels and George Oakley.

Robbie Neilson has made four changes to the injury-hit Hearts side that started Sunday's 3-2 win over St Johnstone.

Defenders Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson and striker Liam Boyce are all out injured, while Gary Mackay-Steven drops to the bench.

Key attacking trio Lawrence Shankland, Alan Forrest and Barrie McKay return, along with left-back Alex Cochrane.

Kilmarnock also make four switches as Alan Power, Kerr McInroy, Kyle Laffery and Oli Shaw all find themselves among the substitutes.

The incoming quartet are forwards Rory McKenzie and Innes Cameron, midfielder Liam Donnelly and defender Joe Wright.

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Following Sunday's staggering 9-0 win at Tannadice, only captain Callum McGregor and hat-trick scorer Liel Abada have kept their places in the Celtic line-up.

There's a debut in goal for Benjamin Siegrist, the summer arrival from Dundee United, while left-back Alexander Bernabei makes his first start.

Meanwhile, hosts County make four changes after Saturday's 4-0 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox.

Out go David Cancola, Yan Dhanda, Jordy Hiwula and Kazeem Olaigbe as midfielders Jordan Tillson and Josh Sims, plus forwards Dominic Samuel and Jordan White, are drafted in.

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Livingston: George, Devlin, Obileye, Kelly, Montano, Omeonga, Holt, Shinnie, Pittman, Goncalves, Nouble.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Longridge, Brandon, Boyes, Bitsindou, Cancar, Bahamboula, Penrice, Guthrie.

Dundee United: Eriksson, Smith, Edwards, Mulgrew, Graham, Behich, Levitt, Harkes, McGrath, Watt, Fletcher.

Substitutes: Newman, McMann, Niskanen, Sibbald, Middleton, Sadat, Freeman, Cudjoe, Meekison.

Ross County: Eastwood, Johnson, Watson, Iacovitti, Purrington, Loturi, Tillson, Harmon, Sims, D Samuel, White.

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Munro, Cancola, Owura, Olaigbe, Akio, Hiwula, Paton, Smith.

Celtic: Siegrist, Ralston, Welsh, Jenz, Bernabei, McGregor, Mooy, Turnbull, Abada, Maeda, Giakoumakis.

Substitutes: Bain, Starfelt, Kyogo, Haksabanovic, McCarthy, Jota, Hatate, Forrest, Juranovic.

Sportsound has just started its build-up to tonight's games on BBC Radio Scotland, hosted by Richard Gordon.

Just click the wee window above to listen.

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Motherwell: Kelly, McGinn, Solholm, Lamie, Penney, Goss, Spittal, Slattery, Tierney, Efford, Van Veen.

Substitutes: Oxborough, O'Donnell, Mugabi, Maguire, McKinstry, Cornelius, Aarons, Shields, Miller.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Ridgers, Harper, Duffy, Devine, Deas, Allardice, MacGregor, Carson, D MacKay, Allardice, Shaw, Mckay.

Substitutes: C Mackay, Hyde, Delaney, Boyd, C MacKay.

Heart of Midlothian: Gordon, M Smith, Neilson, Halliday, Cochrane, Devlin, Haring, Ginnelly, McKay, Forrest, Shankland.

Substitutes: Stewart, Mackay-Steven, Sibbick, Henderson, C Smith, Denholm, Tait.

Kilmarnock: Walker, Mayo, Taylor, Wright, Alebiosu, Chrisene, Donnelly, Polworth, McKenzie, Armstrong, Cameron.

Substitutes: Woods, Power, Stokes, Alston, Shaw, Murray, McInroy, Sotona, Lafferty.

Two Premiership sides (and two from the second tier) are already through - and only Inverness Caledonian Thistle can prevent that becoming six.

Billy Dodds' Championship side visit Motherwell, with the other three ties being all-top-flight affairs.

Ross County will be hoping to upset holders Celtic up in Dingwall, while Heart of Midlothian host Kilmarnock and Livingston entertain Dundee United playing their first match under interim boss Liam Fox after the sacking of Jack Ross.

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It's the second night of Scottish League Cup second-round action and we have live coverage of the remaining four ties, plus the quarter-final draw to follow.

Stay with us for the build-up, live commentary and post-match reaction from Tynecastle, Tony Macaroni Arena, Fir Park and the Global Energy Stadium on BBC Radio Scotland MW and online.

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