Celtic travels to Edinburgh as they face Hibernian in a Scottish Premiership clash on Sunday.

Celtic are currently sitting in second position with 70 points in the table, just three points behind league leader Hearts.

Hibernian vs Celtic – Match preview and team news

• Date: Sunday, 3rd May.

• Kick-off: 12pm BST

• Venue: Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh.

Hibernian team news

Hibernian enters this clash at Easter Road severely hampered by a wave of suspensions following a disciplinary meltdown in the recent Edinburgh derby.

Manager David Gray will be forced to reshape his defensive unit as Raphael Sallinger, Felix Passlack, and Grant Hanley all serve bans; Sallinger and Passlack are out due to red cards.

These absences likely pave the way for Jordan Smith and youngster Kanayochukwu Megwa to step into the starting lineup.

On the injury front, the Hibees remain without Rudi Molotnikov (ankle) and Munashe Garananga (hamstring), both of whom are still recovering from injury issues.

There is a slight boost, however, as midfielder Josh Mulligan has returned to training following an ankle problem and may feature on the bench.

Celtic team news

Martin O’Neill’s squad is still without several vital first-team regulars, including goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, leaving Viljami Sinisalo to continue between the sticks.

The defensive line is also missing Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles) and Julian Araujo (thigh), while Jota and Colby Donovan remain out with knee and hamstring issues respectively.

Also unavailable due to injury issues are Callum Osmand and Adam Montgomery, both of them are expected to return in late May.

Despite these setbacks, the squad has been bolstered by the successful return of Alistair Johnston, who may start on the bench.

In the attack, the inform Daizen Maeda will lead the line alongside James Forrest and Benjamin Nygren. With no fresh injuries reported following their victory over Falkirk, Celtic arrives in Edinburgh with a settled, albeit thin, matchday squad determined to close the gap at the top.

Form

Hibernian

Hibernian’s recent form has been inconsistent, following a stretch of back-to-back league defeats against Aberdeen (2-0) and a painful 2-1 derby loss to Heart of Midlothian. Although the Hibees had been strong at Easter Road, remaining unbeaten in nine home games before the derby. Currently sitting 5th with 51 points, David Gray’s side is fighting for a top-four finish to ensure European qualification.

Celtic

Celtic arrives at Easter Road in excellent domestic form, boasting a three-match winning streak. Recent results include a dominant 6-2 thrashing of St Mirren in the cup game and a steady 3-1 victory over Falkirk in the league last weekend. With just four matches remaining in the league this season, Martin O’Neill’s men must continue winning to keep pressure on in the title race.

Predicted lineups

Hibernian: Smith; Megwa, O’Hora, Bushiri, Obita, Cadden; Chaiwa, Barlaser; McGrath; Elding, Boyle

Celtic: Sinisalo; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Engels; Forrest, Nygren, Hyun-Jun; Maeda

How to watch Hibernian vs Celtic?

In the UK, Hibernian vs Celtic is being shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

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