Celtic drew 2-2 with Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday
Scottish Premiership
- Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
- Date: Sunday, 20 September
- Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Coverage: Updates on Golsicilia.it Radio Scotland & Golsicilia.it Sport website
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TEAM NEWS
Stefan Johansen hopes to shrug off a tightness in his thigh ahead of Celtic's Scottish Premiership game against Dundee on Sunday.
Charlie Mulgrew's thigh injury is not as bad as feared but he is likely to be out for a few more weeks while Stuart Armstrong and Scott Allan are missing.
Dundee defender James McPake has recovered from a hip injury.
However, midfielder Paul McGowan (ankle) and defender Kosta Gadzhalov (shoulder) are out injured.
COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
A dismissal and a late Ajax goal imposed themselves on a bout of resurgence for Celtic, but the team ought to be a little less careworn on Sunday than it has been.
Last weekend's defeat at Pittodrie prompted a two-fold response: the work being carried out at Aberdeen was hailed, just as the work being carried out at Celtic was rummaged through and sternly assessed.
Criticism lingers waiting to pounce around every big club. It is part of the environment and Ronny Deila has faced it down before. Indeed, in terms of results, goals scored and goals conceded, his Celtic team is performing more or less just as it was at this stage last year.
Dundee manager Paul Hartley
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"I think Celtic will be disappointed with some of the results. They have strong enough characters to definitely bounce back. We know when we go to Celtic we are going to face a strong team who are full of quality. "We are a goal off fourth position on the same points total as Ross County so I think the start has been solid. I think where we have brought the club in the past 18 months, we have want to try and keep building and keep progressing. Our aim is once again to be in the top six." |
Europe, too, has proved a trying stage in both seasons. Deila guided his side to a 17-point title win last term and so his confidence is likely to remain unbowed. Yet, just as one defeat doesn't make for a crisis that cannot be overcome, so too one good result and decent performance in Europe doesn't mean that all is well again.
Questions still abound, not least if Deila will retain Kris Commons in his starting line-up for Sunday after his two assists against Ajax. Commons is a productive player in the final third but has never truly convinced Deila that he can fit in to the off-the-ball demands the manager seeks for his high-tempo pressing tactics.
Dundee have the capability to test Celtic's defence, particularly the increasingly assured and impressive Greg Stewart. It has been a mixed start to the season for the Dens Park side, with three wins in the league but also two draws and two defeats.
Paul Hartley is a fine manager who can wring the very most out of his squad but he must decide whether boldness or caution is the best way to approach an assignment at Celtic Park, not least when Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic are still developing their partnership at the heart of Celtic's defence.
This game has the potential to be intriguing even if the tendency is to expect that the home side will prevail.