Scottish Premiership previews: Team news, stats and Livingston vs Celtic live on Sky Sports | Football News

Team news, stats and predictions for this weekend’s Scottish Premiership fixtures, including Celtic’s trip to Livingston, live on Sky.

Dundee United vs Hearts – Saturday, 3pm

Team news

Dundee United could welcome Dylan Levitt back for the visit of Hearts on Saturday.

The on-loan Manchester United midfielder missed Wednesday’s defeat at Livingston with a minor hamstring strain he sustained against Aberdeen last weekend and is pushing for a return.

Injured duo Adrian Sporle and Peter Pawlett are working their way back towards fitness.

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has an unchanged squad to select from for the trip to Tannadice.

That means Michael Smith is set to be the only absentee.

The versatile Northern Irishman could be facing another month on the sidelines as he continues to be plagued by back problems.

Opta stats

• Having lost 0-2 in August of this season, Dundee United will be looking to avoid losing two home matches to Hearts in a single top-flight league campaign for the first time since 1999-00 under Paul Sturrock.

• Hearts have won four of their last five Scottish Premiership matches against Dundee United (L1), including both this season so far; they last enjoyed a longer top-flight winning run over the Tangerines from September 2002 to August 2003, a run of four wins under Craig Levein.

• Dundee United are unbeaten in their last three home league games (W2 D1); they last enjoyed a longer unbeaten home run in the Scottish Premiership in November 2014 (run of seven under Jackie McNamara).

• Hearts have won both of their last two league games, each by a 2-0 score; they last won three in a row in the Scottish Premiership while also keeping a clean sheet each time in December 2017 under Craig Levein.

• Only James Tavernier (11) has assisted more Scottish Premiership goals this season than Hearts’ Barrie McKay (seven), while only Tavernier (89) and David Turnbull (73) have created more chances than McKay (60).

How to follow: Follow all the latest updates in our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports’ digital platforms and watch free match highlights later on Saturday evening.

Hibernian vs St Johnstone – Saturday, 3pm

Team news

Hibernian are set to be without 10 players who would ordinarily be in with a strong chance of starting when they host St Johnstone on Saturday.

Rocky Bushiri is suspended, while Matt Macey, Paul McGinn, Paul Hanlon, Kevin Nisbet, Demetri Mitchell, Joe Newell, Kyle Magennis, Chris Mueller and Kevin Nisbet are all injured.

James Scott could be rushed back into the squad to ease Shaun Maloney’s injury crisis despite not being fully fit.

St Johnstone welcome back Murray Davidson and Zander Clark from injury as well as Glenn Middleton, who was ineligible to face parent club Rangers in midweek.

Callum Booth and Shaun Rooney are both “very close” to returning from injury but unlikely to be involved at Easter Road.

Craig Bryson, Chris Kane and David Wotherspoon are all still out.

Opta stats

• Hibernian have won both previous league meetings with St Johnstone this season; they last won three in a row against the Saints in the top-flight from March 2002 to September 2009.

• St Johnstone are looking to avoid losing away to Hibernian twice within a single top-flight league campaign for the first time since 2001-02.

• Hibernian have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three league games, although both of the last two have finished 0-0. Hibs last kept four clean sheets in a row in the top-flight in March 2009 under Mixu Paatelainen.

• St Johnstone have only won one of their last eight away league games (D1 L6), a 2-1 win over Livingston in February.

• St Johnstone’s Scottish Premiership matches this season have seen fewer goals than any other side (54 – 18 for, 36 against), while Hibernian’s have seen the third-fewest in 2021-22 (58 – 28 for, 30 against).

How to follow: Follow all the latest updates in our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports’ digital platforms and watch free match highlights later on Saturday evening.

Motherwell vs Dundee – Saturday, 3pm

Motherwell have no fresh injuries for the visit of cinch Premiership bottom club Dundee.

Graham Alexander can pick from the same squad that lost at home to Ross County in midweek.

Left-back Nathan McGinley remains out with a knock while midfielder Barry Maguire (quad) is out for the season.

Dundee skipper Charlie Adam drops out with the hamstring injury that forced him off against Hibernian on Wednesday.

Luke McCowan and Zak Rudden remain out with Covid-related absences.

Striker Cillian Sheridan (Achilles) and goalkeeper Adam Legzdins (knee) remain out.

Opta stats

• Motherwell have won each of their last four home league meetings with Dundee, a run that began in April 2018.

• Dundee’s 3-0 win over Motherwell in November ended their seven-game losing run against the Steelmen in the Scottish Premiership.

• Motherwell have earned fewer points in the Scottish Premiership in 2022 so far than any other side (four – W0 D4 L5).

• Dundee have only won one of their last 13 league games (D3 L9), a 2-1 win away at Hearts in February.

• Dundee boss Mark McGhee took charge of 130 top-flight league matches with Motherwell across two spells (2007-2009 & 2015-2017), the final one of those being a 1-5 home defeat against Dundee in February 2017. McGhee has never won a top-flight match against the Steelmen as a manager, facing them four times with Aberdeen from 2009 to 2010 (D3 L1).

How to follow: Follow all the latest updates in our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports’ digital platforms and watch free match highlights later on Saturday evening.

Rangers vs Aberdeen – Saturday, 3pm

Team news

Aaron Ramsey returns to the Rangers squad for their cinch Premiership encounter against Aberdeen at Ibrox.

The Wales international has missed the last four games through injury and returns along with Filip Helander and Ryan Jack.

Amad Diallo and Steven Davis are still missing, along with long-term absentees Ianis Hagi (knee) and Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart issue).

Aberdeen have lost Matty Kennedy to what manager Jim Goodwin described as a “slight injury”.

Right-back Calvin Ramsay could return, while Jonny Hayes seems to have shaken off a head knock.

Adam Montgomery (hamstring), Marley Watkins (foot), Mikey Devlin (ankle) and Andrew Considine (knee) all remain sidelined.

Opta stats

• Rangers are unbeaten in 11 league meetings with Aberdeen (W7 D4) since a 0-1 defeat in December 2018.

• Aberdeen remain winless in their last six league visits to Ibrox (D2 L4), failing to score a single goal in five of those six such matches, the exception being a 2-2 draw in October of this season.

• Rangers have won 30 of their last 34 home league games, drawing the other four; three of those four draws have seen the Gers throw away a lead, including a 2-2 draw against Motherwell in their last such match, with the only one of the 34 matches in this unbeaten home run in which they didn’t take the lead at any stage being a 2-2 draw with Aberdeen in October.

• Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has lost all seven of his Scottish Premiership matches as a manager against Rangers, the only side he has faced but is yet to earn a point against in his managerial career in the competition.

• Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Rangers right-back James Tavernier’s 11 league goals against Aberdeen is the most any player has scored against a single side in the Scottish Premiership; 10 of those 11 goals have been penalties.

How to follow: Follow all the latest updates in our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports’ digital platforms and watch free match highlights later on Saturday evening.

Ross County vs St Mirren – Saturday, 3pm

Team news

TBC.

Opta stats

• Ross County are winless in their last seven league meetings with St Mirren (D2 L5) since enjoying a 2-1 victory in September 2019.
• St Mirren have won five of their last six Scottish Premiership away games at Ross County (L1), including each of their last three in a row.
• Ross County are unbeaten in five home league games (W2 D3); only from November 2012 to March 2013 have they ever had a longer unbeaten home run in the top-flight (run of eight under Derek Adams).
• St Mirren have lost both of their last two league games; they last lost three in a row in the Scottish Premiership in October 2020 (run of six).
• St Mirren’s Eamonn Brophy has scored six goals in his last seven Scottish Premiership appearances against Ross County; his six goals against the Staggies are more than he has netted past any other opponent in the competition.

How to follow: Follow all the latest updates in our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports’ digital platforms and watch free match highlights later on Saturday evening.

Livingston vs Celtic – Sunday, 12pm, live on Sky Sports

Team news

Livingston have a fully-fit squad for the visit of cinch Premiership leaders Celtic on Sunday.

Manager David Martindale has 24 fit players at his disposal.

Martindale admitted he was trying to rotate the players who miss out on a match day but said changes to his in-form team would be limited.

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis will return after missing two matches through illness.

Manager Ange Postecoglou had Albian Ajeti back on the bench in midweek and has no fresh injury worries.

David Turnbull and Kyogo Furuhashi remain on the sidelines following hamstring tears.

Opta stats

• Livingston are unbeaten in their last five home league matches against Celtic (W2 D3), beating them 1-0 in September of this season.
• Celtic have failed to score in both of their league meetings with Livingston so far this season (D1 L1); the last side to keep a clean sheet in three consecutive league matches against Celtic were Livingston themselves from November 2018 to October 2019.
• Livingston have only lost one of their last seven home league games (W4 D2), a 1-2 defeat to St. Johnstone in February. Home and away, the Lions are unbeaten in their last five Scottish Premiership fixtures (W3 D2) since that loss to the Saints.
• Celtic are unbeaten in their last 23 league matches (W19 D4), with their last such defeat coming away to Livingston in September.
• Bruce Anderson has been directly involved in 47% of Livingston’s 32 league goals this season (11 goals, four assists), the highest proportion by any player for any side in the 2021-22 Scottish Premiership.

How to follow: Watch Livingston vs Celtic live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 11am; kick-off 12pm. Follow all the action in our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports’ digital platforms, including in-game clips. Watch free match highlights later on Sunday evening.