GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 11: Celtic huddle ahead of kick off during the William Hill Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
Martin O’Neill has named Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels in the Celtic side to face Dundee tonight.
Both players have been strongly linked with moves to England but are in the Starting XI for tonight’s SPFL opener.
Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran make their debut with Johnston, Auston Trusty, Ben Nygren and Yang Hyun-jun all involved despite missing out on the pre-season friendliest.
It is a very familiar looking Celtic side as they set off on the task of winning a sixth successive SPFL Premiership title.
Dundee come into the match on the back of three wins in the League Cup and a draw with Ross County.
Last season they recorded their first Dens Park win over Celtic in over 30 years then went down to a single goal defeat in three other matches.
Their last visit to Celtic Park saw Junior Adamu deny them a Scottish Cup victory with the only goal of his Celtic career.
Remarkably Steven Pressley is now one of the longest serving managers in the SPFL Premiership. Outlasting various changes at Celtic Park and Ibrox.
RECRUITMENT ANXIETY AT CELTIC
There will certainly be an air of caution around Celtic Park for the opening match of the season.
After too much drama last season Celtic fans expected a summer of activity to put the squad into a far stronger position.
Departures were expected. But of Johnston and Engels join Maeda in England with only Duran and Hogh arriving concerns will be raised.
O’Neill has kept calm throughout the pre-season fixtures, sounding confident that the signings required will be delivered.
The hoops boss has 10 days to register their squad for the Champions League Play Off against LASK. Two changes can then be made 24 hours before the first leg of those matches.
Another week of transfer speculation lies ahead with Celtic next in action away to Kilmarnock on Sunday. The fixture marks the return of a grass pitch to Rugby Park.
CELTIC: Sinsalo; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Yang Duran, Hogh
SUBSTITUTES: Doohan, McCowan, Tounekti, Osmand, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Donovan
Good team – If only they were all staying !
Don’t think we miss AE much??? Duran a player
Christ that was a hard watch.
When was the last time we showed up and wiped the floor with a team? Back in BR’a first stint methinks.
Every fricken game is purgatory.
Got an attacker scoring goals pre season playing through the middle and yet he’s got to play on the wing as there’s nobody else decent enough
Whilst sitting with a fortune in the coffers
Scandalous stuff