Celtic injury news and predicted team for St Johnstone clash as another blow takes absentee list to six

Celtic take on St Johnstone and can go provisionally top of the Premiership

Celtic welcome back Cameron Carter-Vickers for the visit of St Johnstone on Saturday afternoon, but fellow centre-back Liam Scales is set to drop out with a knock. Yang Hyun-jun completes a two-match suspension while Callum McGregor (Achilles/calf), Reo Hatate (calf), Maik Nawrocki (hamstring) and Luis Palma (calf) will miss out again but could all be in contention to face Livingston on March 30.

Kerr Smith has left St Johnstone to return to parent club Aston Villa because of injury while the Perth side remain without absentees Ali Crawford (calf), Drey Wright (knee), Ross Sinclair (arm) and Cammy MacPherson (thigh).

Probable Celtic team: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Taylor; O’Riley, Bernardo, Iwata; Kuhn, Idah, Maeda.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is back in contention for Celtic.

Probable St Johnstone team: Mitov; McGowan, Gordon, Considine; Keltjens, Sprangler, Phillips, Smith, Robinson; Clark; Kimpioka.

Match odds: H 1-12 A 25-1 D 8-1.

Referee: Euan Anderson.

Last season: St Johnstone 1 Celtic 4, Celtic 4 St Johnstone 1, St Johnstone 1 Celtic 2.

Last five league matches: Celtic W D W W L; St Johnstone L L L W D.

Top scorers (all competitions): Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) 14; Nicky Clark (St Johnstone) 6.