Scottish Premiership match previews, team news, predictions, live on Sky Sports
Watch Old Firm clash live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 11.30am on Saturday - Kick-off 12.30pm
Saturday 17 October 2020 12:46, UK
Team news, stats and predictions as the Scottish Premiership returns, with Celtic vs Rangers live on Sky Sports.
Celtic vs Rangers - Saturday, 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Football
Celtic team news: Striker Odsonne Edouard will be assessed ahead of Saturday's Old Firm game against Rangers at Parkhead.
The forward returned to Lennoxtown after being in quarantine since testing positive for Covid-19 while on duty with France U21s.
Israel duo Nir Bitton and Hatem Elhamed are also out after testing positive, with Ryan Christie absent as he self-isolates after being a close contact of Scotland midfielder Stuart Armstrong who contracted the virus - although the Hoops are questioning that decision. Striker Albian Ajeti has recovered from a hamstring injury but winger James Forrest is still out with an ankle problem.
Rangers team news: New boy Bongani Zungu will be denied an Old Firm baptism of fire as he completes a 14-day stint in self-isolation.
The South African has joined on loan from Amiens but only arrived from France earlier this week and must quarantine under Covid-19 restrictions.
Boss Steven Gerrard is assessing the fitness of the nine members of his squad who were on international duty but the derby is likely to come too soon for Joe Aribo and Kemar Roofe, despite both returning to full training from calf strains this week, while long-term knee injury casualty Nikola Katic remains out.
Key stat: Celtic and Rangers have alternated between victory and defeat in each of their last six league meetings (three wins each), with Rangers winning their last such meeting 2-1 in December 2019.
How to watch: Watch Celtic vs Rangers live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 11.30am; kick-off 12.30pm. Follow the action with our dedicated live match blog including in-game clips, with free match highlights published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.
Live SPFL
Andy Walker's prediction: 2-2
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Dundee United vs Aberdeen - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
Dundee Utd team news: Micky Mellon could pair Marc McNulty and Lawrence Shankland together in attack for the first time. McNulty is set to start for thei first time after his deadline day loan move from Reading and he will partner his fellow Scotland striker up front.
United will not have Jeando Fuchs available though, with the midfielder finishing a quarantine period on Friday and unlikely to be fit enough.
Aberdeen team news: This game will come too quickly for Curtis Main, Matty Kennedy, Mikey Devlin, Sam Cosgrove and Greg Leigh, who are working hard to return to full training.
"One or two might be in the squad for the Hamilton game, it is more likely to be Main, Kennedy and Devlin," Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes said. "Greg Leigh and Sam are maybe a bit more beyond that."
Meanwhile, Dean Campbell is still out.
Key stat: Aberdeen have won six of their last seven league matches (L1), including each of their last three away from home without conceding a goal.
How to follow: Follow the action with our dedicated Scottish Premiership blog. Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.
Andy Walker's prediction: 1-1
Hamilton vs St Johnstone - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
Hamilton team news: Jamie Hamilton will miss Hamilton's Premiership game with St Johnstone on Saturday after testing positive for Covid-19. The Accies defender played for Scotland U19s when their game with England was abandoned after Scots coach Billy Stark tested positive for the virus.
Striker Andy Winter was also in the youth squad and will also miss out as he has to self-isolate, while Brian Easton (ankle operation) and Lewis Smith (hamstring) are still out.
St Johnstone team news: Michael O'Halloran returns to the St Johnstone squad for the trip. The striker missed both of Saints' recent Betfred Cup ties with an ankle problem but has returned to training.
Boss Callum Davidson is waiting to see if new Israeli striker Guy Melamed has completed his quarantine protocol.
Key stat: All four of St Johnstone's league goals this season have been scored in the second half, while six of Hamilton's eight such goals have also come in the second half (75 per cent) - the two highest such ratios in this season's Scottish Premiership.
How to follow: Follow the action with our dedicated Scottish Premiership blog. Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.
Andy Walker's prediction: 0-0
Livingston vs Kilmarnock - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
Livingston team news: Goalkeeper Robby McCrorie is set to be recalled after missing Livingston's 2-1 victory over Alloa Athletic.
Meanwhile, Jon Guthrie is likely to replace Aaron Taylor-Sinclair at in defence, while Scott Tiffoney should also return to the starting line-up.
Kilmarnock team news: Kilmarnock goalkeeper Danny Rogers is set to be recalled, replacing Colin Doyle.
Centre-backs Kirk Broadfoot and Stuart Findlay should also return to the starting line-up, but midfielder Youssef Mulumbu remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Key stat: Kilmarnock have only won one of their last five top-flight visits to Livingston (D1 L3), losing the last two.
How to follow: Follow the action with our dedicated Scottish Premiership blog. Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.
Andy Walker's prediction: 1-0
Ross County vs Hibernian - Saturday, 3pm kick-off
Ross County team news: Josh Reid is set to miss the game, with the 18-year-old undertaking a precautionary two-week period of self-isolation.
Captain Iain Vigurs is expected to return after serving a suspension, while Ross Stewart is also likely to start.
Hibernian team news: Hibs are currently contending with a long list of injury concerns as they head into Saturday's fixture. Alex Gogic, Ofir Marciano, Ryan Porteous and Paul McGinn are all returning from international duty, but Jack Ross is still without Lewis Stevenson and Drey Wright.
Joe Newell and Jamie Murphy haave also been struggling with knocks in recent weeks, but Hibernian are hopeful both should return for the game against the Staggies. Finally, Scott Allan remains on the sidelines due to a health issue, while 18-year-old Josh Doig has been forced to self-isolate.
Key stat: Hibs' Kevin Nisbet has scored more goals than any other player in this season's Scottish Premiership (six).
How to follow: Follow the action with our dedicated Scottish Premiership blog. Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.
Andy Walker's prediction: 1-3
St Mirren vs Motherwell - postponed
St Mirren had been missing three unnamed players in the build-up to this game because of positive Covid-19 cases - and after the club confirmed that a further first-team player had returned a positive test, it was announced on Saturday that the game was postponed.
