Celtic vs Dundee preview: Ryan Christie set to return for leaders
Friday 21 December 2018 18:30, UK
Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic will have Ryan Christie available for the visit of Dundee on Saturday.
Christie has missed the last two matches with an ankle injury after he was carried from the field on a stretcher during the Europa League game against Red Bull Salzburg.
However, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said: "Ryan is available, back in the squad.
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"He is very keen to get back as quick as he can but we have to ensure that he is not pushing it too much as well.
"But he has trained now for a few days and looked really good."
Celtic returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 3-0 victory over Motherwell on Wednesday.
Dundee are bottom of the table and have conceded eight goals in their last two matches.
But manager Jim McIntyre said: "I've been to Celtic Park several times with my Ross County team and picked up points, so it can be done.
"You've got to go into every game believing you can get a result. We know that we need to have one to 11 right bang at it and we need a few of Celtic's players to dip below their normal levels."
Team news
Rodgers is hoping Odsonne Edouard (abductor), Kieran Tierney (hip), Mikael Lustig (concussion) and Dedryck Boyata (hamstring) will return next week.
Striker Leigh Griffiths is out of football for a period of time with personal issues while Eboue Kouassi and Daniel Arzani (both knee) remain out.
Dundee's on-loan left-back Calvin Miller sits out the match at his parent club.
Dundee's defensive headaches are further worsened by a hamstring problem which has ruled out Gensy Kusunga while Darren O'Dea is a major doubt with a groin issue. Midfielder Lewis Spence (hamstring) should be fit.
Opta stats
- Celtic have not conceded more than one goal against Dundee in a Scottish Premiership match since November 2004 and have not lost any of their last 30 such games against the Dee (W24 D6).
- Dundee's only previous Scottish Premiership victory away at Celtic came back in May 2001 (2-0), (D3 L18).
- Celtic have won eight consecutive home league games; they last embarked on a longer such winning run in February 2017 (16 games).
- Dundee have lost four of their last five away league games (D1), shipping no less than 15 goals in this time.
- Current Dundee striker Kenny Miller has netted nine goals in 16 Scottish Premiership matches against Celtic but he's yet to register his first striker against them for the Dee
