Celtic push for second place as St Mirren visit Parkhead

Celtic will be aiming to keep the heat on their title rivals Hearts and Rangers when they welcome St Mirren to Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.

Fresh from a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Dundee last weekend, Martin O’Neill’s side have cut league leaders Hearts’ advantage to just three points. 

The late win has given Celtic genuine momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. A victory on Saturday would allow them to leapfrog Rangers into second place, especially with their Glasgow rivals not in action until 24 hours later when they travel to face Falkirk.

The visitors, however, are in buoyant mood themselves. St Mirren had been hovering dangerously close to the relegation playoff spot but produced a vital 2-0 victory against Aberdeen last weekend. 

That result has lifted them clear of the bottom three and injected fresh confidence into the squad as they head to Glasgow. 

While survival remains their main objective, the Saints will be determined to make life difficult for Celtic and pick up what would be a valuable point or three on the road.

Team news for the hosts is mixed. Arne Engels, who has been sidelined for nearly two months with a thigh injury picked up against Livingston, is now closing in on a return to action. 

His comeback cannot come soon enough for Celtic supporters. However, Mexican international full-back Julian Araujo will definitely miss the St Mirren clash with his own thigh problem and is targeting a return after the upcoming league split.

Parkhead is expected to be at its loudest as Celtic look to maintain their push for silverware.

Three points would keep the pressure firmly on the teams above them and send a strong message that O’Neill’s men are not ready to surrender their title ambitions just yet.