St Johnstone have been drawn into the relegation battle over the past seasons, having to defeat Caley Thistle in the relegation playoff in 2021-22, while they placed ninth in 2022-23 and 10th in 2023-24.

The Saints are once again staring down the barrel of relegation this season, as they sit at the foot of the Scottish Premiership table with just 26 points from 31 games, after seven wins, five draws and 19 defeats.

Those results leave St Johnstone trailing 10th-placed Kilmarnock by six points, but a recent upturn in form has seen them climb closer to the teams above them, having secured three wins, two draws and suffered only three losses in their last eight league games.

Simo Valakari, who took charge after Craig Levein's dismissal, will be aiming to continue that positive momentum into the post-split campaign, where five additional matches after the final two regular league fixtures will offer a crucial chance to secure survival.

However, the Saints will face a tough challenge maintaining that momentum on Sunday when they take on Celtic, undeniably the standout performers of the Scottish Premiership season.

The visitors have all-but confirmed their status as Scottish Premiership champions, sitting at the top of the table with a significant 13 point lead over second-placed Rangers.

Brendan Rodgers's men have won 25, drawn three and lost three of their 31 league fixtures - leaving them with 78 points - while they have scored a phenomenal 92 goals and conceded just 20 times.

They head into this clash having won four of their last five matches across all competitions - losing the remaining match to Rangers - while also boasting an impressive record against St Johnstone, with 27 wins and four draws in their last 31 encounters.

St Johnstone possible starting lineup:

Fisher; Duke-McKenna, Balodis, Mitchell, Douglas, Wright; Holt, Sprangler, Svedberg; Griffith, Kirk

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Sinisalo; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Schlupp; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Maeda, Jota