Celtic will be determined to put the disappointment of crashing out of the Champions League behind them when they face St Johnstone in their Scottish Premiership match.
Ronny Deila's men succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Malmo in Sweden which ended their aspirations of competing in the group stages of Europe's elite competition this season.
Celtic
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The Bhoys failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League for the second season in a row as they fell to an aggregate defeat to Malmo, despite entering the second leg with a 3-2 lead.
A strike from Markus Rosenberg and an own goal from Dedryck Boyata handed Malmo a 2-0 victory as Deila's men were forced to settle once again for a place in the Europa League.
The Celtic boss claimed that his side were "scared" to rise to the challenge of beating the Swedish team at Swedbank Stadion, which could invoke an interesting response from his players this weekend.
Celtic have been in excellent form in the Scottish Premiership at the start of their campaign, dropping just one point in their first five matches, although Hearts' five wins from five games sees Deila's men reside in second place.
The Bhoys will be determined to take the initiative to earn top spot back on Saturday with a victory over St Johnstone and continue their winning start at Celtic Park this season. Deila's side have won all five of their matches at home in the campaign.
Recent lapses at the back will be a concern to Deila as Celtic have not kept a clean sheet in their last five matches in all competitions, including their Champions League exit.
Speculation over Virgil van Dijk's future will also be a worry for the Norwegian, who will be desperate for a win to end a tough week on a high note.
Recent form: WWDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WDWWWL
St Johnstone
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Tommy Wright's men got their first win of the Scottish Premiership season when they defeated Motherwell 2-1 at McDiarmid Park.
Louis Moult had put the visitors ahead, but Steven MacLean scored a second-half brace to end his side's four-game winless run in the league.
The pressure was already on Wright and his team after they had crashed out of the Europa League in the first qualifying round at the hands of Armenian side Aleshkert, so the manner of the victory will have delighted the 51-year-old.
St Johnstone's form on the road was solid last season and helped them finish in fourth place in the table, but they have got off to a poor start in the campaign, losing to Hearts on the opening day as well as Dundee.
The Saints had the third-best defensive record in the Premiership last season as only Celtic and Aberdeen conceded fewer goals, but they have yet to keep a clean sheet in the current campaign.
Wright's men face a major challenge to improve on their defensive record and their form on the road when they travel to Celtic Park.
Recent form: LDDLW
Recent form (all competitions): WLDDLW
Team News
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Deila may opt to ring the changes following his side's exit from the Champions League after conceding that he was not pleased with their performance in Sweden.
Kris Commons came off the bench during the week and could push for a starting berth, while Mikael Lustig may return from injury after missing the match, leaving Saidy Janko to drop out.
Van Dijk's future remains uncertain as he continues to be linked with a move to Southampton. His status on Saturday could well indicate whether he will be with the Bhoys come the end of the transfer window.
Wright may be tempted to name an unchanged side from the team that defeated Motherwell last week.
However, David Wotherspoon and Christopher Kane could push for a starting place after impressing from the bench at McDiarmid Park.
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Van Dijk, Mulgrew; Brown, Bitton; Commons, Johansen, Armstrong; Griffiths
St Johnstone possible starting lineup:
Mannus; Shaughnessy, Mackay, Scobbie, Easton; O'Halloran, Millar, Davidson, Wotherspoon, MacLean, Cummins
Head To Head
The teams played out a goalless draw in their last meeting at McDiarmid Park in May earlier this year, while Danny Swanson handed the Saints a 1-0 win in the last clash at Celtic Park.
However, the Bhoys had won the previous two matches earlier in the campaign with 2-1 and 3-0 victories.
Over the course of history, Celtic have dominated the contest winning 85 matches compared to St Johnstone's 24 victories, while 22 of the encounters have ended in draws.
We say: Celtic 3-1 St Johnstone
Celtic will be determined to get back to winning ways and prove a point in front of their supporters following their Champions League exit. St Johnstone have not found their rhythm yet in the campaign and could be in line for the backlash from Deila's men.
Simon Sinclair
