St Mirren vs Celtic LIVE as Parkhead diehards hit the fear over one particular selection in Scottish Cup crunch

The home side will certainly need to be at their best this afternoon and could have done without the absence of captain Mark O’Hara for this one, but the Saints looked to be in good spirits upon arrival for this one and will be hoping another Scottish Cup shock this weekend.

Daizen Maeda may have returned earlier than he’d have liked to from Asian Cup duty with Japan, but the Celtic speedster is determined to keep the Scottish Premiership title in the corridors of Celtic Park and insists that ‘I feel we are a stronger team’ than title rivals Rangers.

He’ll be a man on a mission this afternoon to be in amongst the goals in this ultra-attacking Celtic lineup, can he provide the spark that Celtic need to ensure their passage to the Scottish Cup Quarter Finals? We’ll find out soon enough.

The Hoops are heavy favourites to win today – and are joint favourites to lift the trophy with OLBG.

OLBG: St Mirren vs Celtic match odds

St Mirren – 8/1

Draw – 17/4

Celtic – 2/7

OLBG: Scottish Cup outright odds

Celtic, Rangers – 13/8
Aberdeen – 8/1
Hearts – 10/1
Hibernian – 11/1
Kilmarnock – 14/1
Livingston – 22/1
St Mirren – 50/1
Morton – 66/1
Airdrie – 200/1

It looks like Celtic could be going with a 4-2-4 style of formation, or maybe 4-3-3 with a Kyogo free-role kind of thing as Brendan Rodgers opts to include his Japanese talisman alongside January capture Adam Idah.

With both Palma and Maeda included, as well as the two central midfielders being Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley, is this one of the most attacking XIs that Brendan Rodgers has put down on paper during his time at Celtic?

Kick-off is looming large over the horizon and the Celtic squad have arrived in Paisley ahead of this eagerly anticipated cup tie, but who will start for the holders? We’re expecting team lines soon and will bring you the news as soon as we have it.

The last time these two sides met on January 2nd, Celtic utterly steamrollered the Saints, with a one-two combo inside six minutes from Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley setting them on their way, before a fine third from Greg Taylor on the hour sealed the win against their opponents who had seen Toyosi Olusanya dismissed for a high-booted lunge that connected with Joe Hart.

With Maeda, Yang and Oh all now back from Asian Cup duty, Celtic will be hoping they can conjur up more of that magic this afternoon, while Stephen Robinson’s side will hoping to stay in the contest a bit longer than six minutes this time around.

Brendan Rodgers has come in for some serious criticism for the decline in Kyogo’s numbers this season, none more so than from Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton, and the Celtic manager has a bit of a conundrum on his hands for this afternoon’s team selection.

Kyogo or Idah, or both? The Republic of Ireland international has looked lively in his two outings thus far and will be pushing for regular game time during his temporary stay in Glasgow as he looks to win a longer-term deal, but will Rodgers be tempted to change things up for the trip to Paisley?

The new Celtic No. 9 is not your typical January loanee lacking in any sort of match fitness, he’s made plenty of appearances for Norwich this campaign and seems to be more on a confidence-finding mission at his boyhood club, but can the two players be accomodated in the same XI?

An on-form Kyogo is like nothing else in the Scottish Premiership in terms of sheer goal-return and all-around menace to opposition defenders, but whether or not Brendan Rodgers will be able to get the talismanic Japanese attacker back to his best could determine the course of the rest of the season, one in which he’s already said that not winning a trophy would be ‘unthinkable’.

With wingers, wingers everywhere and not a one to play, could now be the time for a tactical tweak to get both his goal threats on the pitch at the same time?

David Dickinson is the man in the middle for this afternoon’s clash and, as I’ve run clean out of Bargain Hunt puns, I’ll just tell you that he’ll be assisted on-field by linesmen Daniel McFarlane and Steven Traynor, while Graham Grainger is your fourth official.

VAR is never far from the grill of the Scottish football spotlight these days and Alan Muir will be the main man in the VAR Room today, alongside his AVAR David Dunne.

Welcome to our continued LIVE live coverage of the Scottish Cup Fifth Round and the penultimate match of a weekend that has already seen Greenock Morton stun Motherwell as well as a remarkable extra time fightback from Livingston to eliminate a spirited Partick Thistle.

Will we have even more drama at the SMiSA Stadium this afternoon as St Mirren host the holders Celtic? We’ll have all the angles covered for this one right here.

Keanu Baccus felt pressure to win the Asia Cup with Australia and was left devastated by defeat.

Now, the Socceroos star wants Celtic to feel the same when they face St Mirren in Paisley. Baccus is back from Qatar and could start in Saints’ Scottish Cup tie against the holders. He says becoming a regular for the Aussie national side – and playing at two major tournaments – has given him belief. But while Baccus has taken his career to a new level, he accepts it comes with higher expectations.

He was distraught at his country’s late loss to South Korea in Qatar because he felt they could win the trophy. And he’d love to get his hands on silverware with Saints but Brendan Rodgers’ side stand in their way. And this time Baccus hopes to take advantage of the Buddies’ underdog status by knocking out the Hoops.

I’ve played Celtic a few times and I know what I’m in for. We’ve beaten them before so why can’t we do it again? Celtic are favourites and I know from the Asia Cup, that brings a different pressure.

As underdog, you have nothing to lose. If we can hold on early, their fans can go against them and that will put pressure on Celtic. At the Asia Cup we were one of the favourites and there was more pressure on us.

Celtic fans have been calling for some changes but what can Brendan Rodgers do to awaken performances which, in the eyes of those who pay, is a pale imitation to the brand which made Angeball unmissable? A bold shout which is gaining steam is switching to a 3-5-2. It’s not a favoured way of playing for Rodgers, however, it appears it could suit some key men. Alistair Johnston is out but he feels an ideal fit as a right-sided defender in a back three. Here, Record Sport gives the XI a makeover. READ MORE

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Brendan Rodgers admits it’s UNTHINKABLE for him not to win a trophy in his first season back at Celtic.

The Hoops boss swept all before him during his first spell as manager, securing a double Treble. But Rodgers is under more pressure this time having returned to Parkhead last summer. Celtic have already surrendered the League Cup and have lost a seven-point lead to Old Firm rivals Rangers at the top of the Premiership. Rodgers faces a tricky Scottish Cup last-16 tie away to St Mirren on Sunday where he knows victory is vital.

And the manager says it would be unacceptable if he didn’t lift at least one piece of silverware this term. When asked if it would be unthinkable in his own mind not to win a trophy.

Oh aye. And not just because of what happened before – but because of my own mindset now in being here again. That’s (a trophy-less season) not what the supporters demand and it’s not what the club demands. It’s certainly not what I demand. No, I’m here to win. And by the time I do leave here, I hope I’ve won a lot.