Celtic star returns, huge Hearts boost, Hibs welcome back defender, Rangers trio fit - Premiership team news and probable XIs

Carter-Vickers back in squad while Hearts expect midfielders to make key clash with Dons

There are six games taking place on Saturday in the cinch Premiership – here is the team news for each encounter:

Celtic (1) v Ross County (11)

Celtic welcome Cameron Carter-Vickers, who signed a new contract on Friday, back from injury and winger Nicolas Kuhn is in line for a debut but Greg Taylor drops out with a calf problem. Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Yang Hyun-jun are on Asian Cup duty. County could introduce new loan signings Teddy Jenks and Loick Ayina. Jack Baldwin is suspended and injured, midfielder Scott Allardice is out for three months with a knee problem which requires an operation, while Ryan Leak had an X-ray on his ankle and Will Nightingale returned to parent club Wimbledon for an injection in his knee. Dylan Smith (ankle) and Ross Callachan (knee) remain out.

Paul Hanlon is back in Hibs training after illness.

Probable Celtic team: Hart; A Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Scales; Bernardo, McGregor, O’Riley; Abada, Furuhashi, Palma.

Probable Ross County team: Laidlaw; Randall, Ayina, Brown, Harmon; Sheaf, Jenks, Dhanda, King, Sims; Murray.

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Hearts (3) v Aberdeen (7)

Hearts hope to have midfielder Beni Baningime fit for the visit of Aberdeen.

Hearts boss Steven Naismith is confident Beni Baningime and Aidan Denholm will be fit after the midfield pair went off with knocks in Tuesday’s win over Dundee. Barrie McKay (knee), Liam Boyce (hamstring), and Cammy Devlin (ankle) are still out while Australian duo Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson remain on international duty. Aberdeen will be without Slobodan Rubezic after the defender suffered a knee injury against St Johnstone.

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Probable Hearts team: Clark; Kent, Halkett, Kingsley; Lembikisa, Nieuwenhof, Baningime, Denholm, Cochrane; Shankland, Vargas.

Probable Aberdeen team: Roos; Jensen, MacDonald, Gartenmann; MacKenzie, Barron, Shinnie, Clarkson, M Devlin; McGrath; Miovski.

Kilmarnock (4) v Hibs (6)

Liverpool midfielder James Balagizi could make his Kilmarnock debut after joining on loan while Derek McInnes is hoping goalkeeper Will Dennis is fit after missing last week’s win over Dundee with a minor injury. Brad Lyons and Kyle Magennis remain out after respective cartilage and hamstring problems. Hibs expect to have defender Paul Hanlon back after he missed the midweek defeat by Rangers through illness. Martin Boyle, Lewis Miller, Jojo Wollacott and Rocky Bushiri are on international duty, while Josh Campbell (ankle), Adam Le Fondre (hamstring), Jake Doyle-Hayes (ankle) and Chris Cadden (Achilles) are still out.

Kilmarnock probable team: Dennis; Mayo, Wright, Findlay; Armstrong, Balagizi, Watson, McKenzie, Kennedy; Vassell, Watkins.

Hibs probable team: Marshall; Megwa, Fish, Hanlon, Obita; Youan, Levitt, Newell, Tavares; Marcondes; Vente.

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Livingston (12) v Dundee (8)

Livingston will be without Cristian Montano (hamstring) and goalkeeper Jack Hamilton (groin) for several weeks. Tete Yengi and Ayo Obileye are likely to return to the squad after missing the win over Raith Rovers through injury, while captain Michael Devlin is expected to be fit despite going off last weekend. Dundee have signed Burnley striker Michael Mellon on loan while midfielder Luke McCowan has shaken off the tight hamstring he experienced against Hearts. Zak Rudden and Cammy Kerr left in loan moves. Diego Pineda (thigh), Antonio Portales (hamstring) and Ricki Lamie (hamstring) remain out while Aaron Donnelly is set to rejoin training next week after a minor medical procedure.

Livingston probable team: George; Devlin, Nottingham, Obileye; Brandon, Pittman, Holt, St Kelly, Penrice; Anderson, Guthrie.

Dundee probable team: Carson; Ashcroft, Shaughnessy, Dodgson; McGhee, Cameron, Boateng, McCowan, Costelloe; Bakayoko, Robinson.

St Johnstone (10) v Motherwell (9)

Connor Smith could make his St Johnstone debut if the paperwork is completed following his move from Hearts. Kerr Smith, Chris Kane and Nicky Clark all trained on Friday after missing the midweek draw with Aberdeen. Sam McClelland (knee), Ali Crawford (calf) and Drey Wright (knee) are still not ready to return while Ross Sinclair (arm) and Cammy MacPherson (thigh) are long-term absentees. Motherwell could have New Zealand international Callan Elliot and Sam Nicholson in their squad but both are short of match fitness. Dan Casey and Shane Blaney are back on the training pitch but might not be ready while Callum Slattery (knee) and Jon Obika (hamstring) remain out.

St Johnstone probable team: Mitov; McGowan, Gordon, Considine; Keltjens, Phillips, Kucheriavyi, Robinson; Smith, Carey; Kimpioka.

Motherwell probable team: Kelly; McGinn, Mugabi, Butcher, O’Donnell, Zdravkovski, Paton, Halliday, Gent; Spittal; Bair.

St Mirren (5) v Rangers (2)

St Mirren could hand debuts to James Scott and Jaden Brown. Conor McMenamin’s knee injury will keep him out for a few weeks while James Bolton and Greg Kiltie are doubts with knocks. Ryan Strain remains out after groin surgery and Keanu Baccus is on international duty with Australia. Rangers defender Connor Goldson returns from suspension after missing the midweek win over Hibs. Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin have recovered from knocks but Ben Davies, Kemar Roofe, Danilo and Kieran Dowell remain out along with Abdallah Sima, who was sent home from the Africa Cup of Nations with a long-term thigh injury.

St Mirren probable team: Hemming; Fraser, Gogic, Dunne; Bwomono, Kwon, Boyd-Munce, Tanser; Jamieson, Ayuga, Kiltie.

Rangers probable team: Butland; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Yilmaz; Raskin, Lundstram; McCausland, Cantwell, Matondo; Silva.

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