Dundee United host Celtic at Tannadice this afternoon as both sides face a match of huge importance in Tayside.
Adrian Sporle makes the bench for Micky Mellon after a knock against Kilmarnock last weekend and is replaced by Nicky Clark. Celtic bring Mohamed Elyounoussi back into their starting XI, Vasilis Barkas and James Forrest returning to the bench in John Kennedy’s second game as interim manager.
United have been given an outside chance at the top six after results on Saturday went in their favour. Livingston and St Mirren were both defeated, meaning a win over Celtic puts them back into right back in the mix for a top half berth.
But that will be no easy task against a Celtic side looking to delay the confirmation of Rangers as Scottish Premiership champions. They have to beat Mellon’s side in order to stop Rangers’ confirmation and officially cling on to the 10-in-a-row dream for another weekend, although that looks to have passed some time ago.
While pre-match build-up has focused on Celtic’s downfall as champions, Mellon says his full focus is on United’s top six bid: “We’re all about Dundee United trying to perform and move forward.
“Obviously it would be wrong of me to suggest I wasn’t aware of the situation and how it could all pan out. But honestly we’ll just be trying to win the game on Sunday and hopefully that is enough to take the fight for the top six into the last game against Aberdeen.”
Here’s how both sides line up at Tannadice.
Dundee United XI
Siegrist, Smith, Reynolds, McNulty, Clark, Edwards, Robson, Butcher, Harkes, Shankland, Fuchs
Bench; Deniz, Sporle, Connolly, Pawlett, Hoti, Chalmers, Bolton, Appere, Neilson
Celtic XI
Bain, Brown, Turnbull, Kenny, Christie, Edouard, Elyounoussi, Ajer, McGregor, Welsh, Laxalt
Bench; Barkas, Duffy, Griffiths, Ajeti, Klimala, Soro, Rogic, Forrest, Montgomery
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