CELTIC head into this afternoon’s crunch clash with Motherwell trailing league leaders Rangers by five points.
And after being held by Kilmarnock at home last week, Brendan Rodgers will be under no illusions as to what the Hoops fans will be expecting here.
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There was a seven point gap between Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table when Philippe Clement was appointed Michael Beale’s successor in October – a lead that subsequently reached eight points.
But the Gers have been in relentless form and now have a FIVE point lead at the top after yesterday’s 5-0 demolition of Hearts.
Motherwell have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions and will need to turn things around fast to keep hopes of a top six finish alive.
But Stuart Kettlewell’s men will take heart from their 1-1 draw at Parkhead back in November, while the Hoops needed a last second Matt O’Riley strike to edge a 2-1 win at Fir Park earlier this season.
To the teams – and Celtic welcome back key man Alistair Johnston to the starting XI.
As revealed by SunSport, Cameron Carter-Vickers is also back – but he’s only fit enough to take his place as a substitute.
Maik Nawrocki starts in defence with Tomoki Iwata and Nicolas Kuhn also coming into Rodgers’ XI.
The hosts welcome back Blair Spittal who comes in for Harry Paton.
Motherwell XI: Kelly; Devine, McGinn, Mugabi, Casey, Gent; Miller, Spittal, Zdravkovski; Vale, Bair.
Motherwell subs: Oxborough, O’Donnell, Obika, Shaw, Nicholson, Blaney, Elliot, Ferrie, Butcher.
Celtic XI: Hart; Johnston, Nawrocki, Scales, Taylor; O’Riley, Iwata, McGregor; Maeda, Kyogo, Kuhn.
Celtic subs: Bain, Palma, Idah, Yang, Oh, Carter-Vickers, Bernardo, Kelly Ralston.
What time does Motherwell vs Celtic kick off?
- Motherwell host Celtic TODAY Sunday, February 24, 2024.
- The match kicks off at 12 noon.
- Fir Park is the stadium for this one.
What TV channel is Motherwell vs Celtic? Can I live stream it?
- Motherwell vs Celtic has been selected for live TV coverage and will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sport Football.
- Coverage starts at 11am – one hour before kick-off.
- Sky customers can stream the game live via Sky Go.
- Alternatively, you can follow all the action via SunSport’s LIVE blog.
- Highlights will be available on Sportscene at 7.15pm on BBC Scotland which means these can also be streamed on iPlayer.
Who is the referee and who is on VAR duties?
- The referee at Fir Park will be Willie Collum.
- He will be assisted by Jonathan Bell and John McCrossan.
- Duncan Williams is the fourth official.
- Gavin Duncan will be in the Clydesdale House studio on VAR, assisted by Gary Hilland.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page