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Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 24
Jan 16, 2021 at 3pm UK
Celtic Park
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Celtic
0 - 0
Livingston


Ralston (29')
FT

Bartley (67'), Lawson (84')

David Martindale: 'Celtic have a fantastic squad'

Celtic lost 13 players to self-isolation ahead of Monday's draw with Hibernian.

Livingston manager David Martindale claims the value of Celtic's makeshift team could keep his club going for 60 years.

Celtic lost 13 players to self-isolation ahead of Monday's draw with Hibernian after Christopher Jullien tested positive for Covid-19 on return from the club's costly trip to Dubai.

The likes of Vasilis Barkas, Kristoffer Ajer, Scott Brown, Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths were absent and Celtic had two wide players up front – 19-year-old debutant Cameron Harper and the fit-again Mikey Johnston.

However, key players such as David Turnbull, Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic were in action and Martindale will not underestimate the crisis-hit Scottish Premiership champions ahead of Livingston's trip to Celtic Park on Saturday.

"I was looking at Celtic's squad against Hibs and, looking round the team, I was valuing it at around £60 million," he said.

"They had an abundance of talent on that pitch – £60 million could run my club for 60 years.

"They have a big squad for a reason. It's a fantastic squad and, even the squad that lined up against Hibs was very good.

"Yes, it's diminished for a Celtic team, but that's got nothing to do with us.

"We can only play what's in front of us. There's an opportunity to go there and pick up points but, on the flip-side, they are more than capable of beating us. We'll need to be at the top of our game."

Livingston were denied the chance to equal a club-record nine consecutive wins when their game against Aberdeen postponed at the last minute on Wednesday.

"It doesn't really change our build-up. It means I could get more intensity into the players on Thursday, whereas that would have been a recovery session."

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General view of Almondvale Stadium, home to Livingston, from 2005
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic110082275581
2RangersRangers110074245078
3Hearts101046341263
4Kilmarnock10104334952
5St Mirren10013945-643
6Dundee10014556-1141
Relegation Group
1Hibernian11004752-542
2Aberdeen11003649-1338
3Motherwell10014652-637
4St Johnstone10012549-2431
5Ross County10013258-2630
6Livingston11002459-3521
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
12Livingston3339212259-3718


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