Brendan Rodgers has named his Hoops starting XI to face St Mirren at Celtic Park on Flag Day, in the Hoops’ first competitive game of the season in the Scottish Premiership.
With Rangers drawing 1-1 against Motherwell at Fir Park yesterday, today’s game is already a huge opportunity to open up a two‑point gap just one game into the season, in what could prove crucial come the end of the campaign.
Rodgers has rotated heavily during pre-season, and there are still plenty of questions over who will start this afternoon. Both the back four and the front three have selection dilemmas, making today’s line-up a telling one for who Rodgers sees as his strongest XI, aside from Jota, who misses out through injury.
Up top and out wide is where else supporters will be watching closely. Daizen Maeda will almost certainly start off the left despite impressing through the middle last season. Adam Idah faces competition from Johnny Kenny, who caught the eye in pre‑season, and Shin Yamada, who was brilliant off the bench against Al Ahli.
The other big talking point is the right wing. Yang Hyun‑Jun appears to be Rodgers’ preferred choice ahead of James Forrest in pre‑season, with Marco Tilio also an option. That said, Tilio’s time at Celtic looks to be coming to an end, with a move to Rapid Vienna seemingly agreed once the club secures a replacement for Nicolas Kühn.
It’s clear Celtic will look to add more players before the September 1 transfer deadline. Supporters will hope that by the end of the window there’s greater depth across the squad.
But with the likes of Kieran Tierney and Benjamin Nygren already in the door, the pair look nailed-on to start week in, week out.
Here is your Celtic Starting XI to face St Mirren:
📋 Your starting XI for the season opener!
Here’s how the Bhoys line up to take on St Mirren at Paradise 👇
#CELSTM | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/B1y1Sa8ToW— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 3, 2025
Notable absentees from the bench include Marco Tilio, who looks set to join Rapid Vienna in the coming weeks, with the Austrian side reportedly pushing Celtic to finalise the deal. Stephen Welsh is also missing, with Plymouth said to be enquiring about a loan move that includes an option to buy. He appears another player likely to head out on loan.
The final surprise omission is Hayato Inamura. It’s worth noting the bench size is just nine players, but Rodgers told CeltsAreHere at his Friday press conference that he’s still keeping a close eye on the Japanese defender. A loan move remains possible if another left-back arrives before the window closes.
This afternoon’s game is live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, and kick-off is at 4:30pm.
