Celtic get the game under way.

Will we have another dramatic finish like the visitors' last-gasp winner at the end of last season?

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill tells BBC Scotland: "It was short reflection and it didn't take me long to decide that this is a fight worth having.

"I think last season was the exact same and this season we have a big fight on our hands between now and the end of the season.

"We are going to try and win the game if we can. You're right about the players away on international duty.

"The first time we see them is Friday morning, but we knew that anyway and we aren't the only club that has those problems. We're ready to go, it's a wonderful day, the pitch is in fine order and we want to try and win if we can.

"[Carter-Vickers] has had a bit of a strain and he didn't make it today. There's no issues with those comments."

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson tells BBC Scotland: "Regardless of any past result, everyone is in this crazy football world where you play games all the time.

"You will benefit from having a couple of days off, which we did. More important than that, we had two full training weeks and players have put in all the effort and focus. That's been hugely impactful and something we will take benefit from.

"When we press, we need to press together. This is basic stuff, but it's what we've been working [on] and what we expect in the coming weeks. We want to improve together and I have great belief in this squad.

"Now that the injury situation looks better, we have a lot of competition for spots. When that is the case, you have to work really hard to play.

"[Stephen O'Donnell] brings a lot of experience, a lot of leadership. We've missed him and Paul McGinn too. We're pleased to have him back.

"I've seen some of these [Celtic] players, how good they are. Let's make no mistake. They are number one in the table before this round started, so we have to be the best version of ourselves."

Here come the teams into a packed Fir Park...

Massive Danny McGrain tifo at the Celtic end.

Mika Baur has become a vital cog in Celtic's midfield since arriving from Paderborn this summer and made his Germany debut during the international break.

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Callum Davidson
Former St Johnstone manager on BBC Sportsound

Jota's return will be a boost for Celtic.

However, I think we will only see him come off the bench today if Celtic are cruising.

Motherwell and Celtic are both looking to end three-game losing streaks.

For all the early plaudits about the style of play under new manager Alfred Johansson, Motherwell have now only won once in eight outings.

Meanwhile, Celtic's poor run lead to Martin O'Neill considering, if only briefly, his future at the club he led to the title last season.

Yet the Northern Irishman's side have won their last six away league games.

Celtic won on their last visit to Fir Park, 3-2 in May, but Motherwell's one win in 34 meetings did come there in the champions' previous visit in December.

Tawanda Maswanhise surprisingly is dropped to the Motherwell bench along with fellow forward Ibrahim Said and defender Jake Girdwood-Reich.

In come Stephen O'Donnell, a first start of the season for the veteran right-back, midfielder Dylan Levitt, for whom it is a first start, and forward Willy Vogt.

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An interesting stat highlighted in the Sunday papers.

Martin O'Neill faces a tough three-game test of his longevity against three fresh talent from abroad seen as among the new breed of managers.

Put together the ages of Motherwell's Alfred Johansson and Hibs' Marink Reedijk and they still don't add up to the Northern Irishman's 74 years.

Meanwhile, Hearts' Wouter Vrancken is also O'Neill's junior by three decades.

There's plenty more about Celtic in today's Scottish Gossip.

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This is the first game since Celtic lost their second Old Firm derby in a week to allow Rangers to narrow the gap at the top of the table.

Martin O'Neill decided to stay on as manager after considering his position, but the pressure is still on after the Ibrox side's victory over Kilmarnock yesterday took them to the top by a point.

Not an ideal start to the day for Celtic - one of their team buses has reportedly broken down.

According to the Scottish Sun, players, management and staff usually travel on multiple buses to games but have had to pile into one for the trip to Fir Park.

Will it prove a bad omen as Martin O'Neill bids to put the brakes on his side's losing run?

Portuguese winger Jota is in the Celtic squad for the first time in 18 months following injury.

On-loan Chelsea left-back Landon Emenalo, who is yet to make his Celtic debut because of injury, is also on the bench for the first time.

But Cameron Carter-Vickers, who had been an injury doubt, misses out and is replaced at centre-half by Dane Murray.

Kasper Hogh returns up front, while Tounekti is on the wing, with Auston Trusty drops to the bench and Luke McCowan misses out.

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Motherwell: Paulsen, Sparrow, O'Donnell, Moormann, Longelo, Hodge, Fadinger, Levitt, Lowry, Vogt, Palmer-Houlden.

Substitutes: Connelly, Girdwood-Reich, Knight-Lebel, McGhee, Kanga, Bjorgolfsson, Maswanhise, Said, Booth.

Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Murray, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Baur, Nygren, Tounekti, Duran, Hogh.

Substitutes: Johnstone, Lotomba, Trusty, Jota, Sorensen, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hassan, Mheuka, Forrest.

Sportsound's build-up to today's games is just starting on BBC Radio Scotland.

Former Celtic midfielder John Collins, ex-Aberdeen player and manager Willie Miller and former St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson are the pundits joining host Andy Burke.

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First, a reminder of yesterday's action, when Rangers went top of the Premiership for the first time this season after beating Kilmarnock 3-1 at Ibrox.

Meanwhile, third-top Heart of Midlothian thrashed visitors St Mirren 5-0, Marink Reedijk lost his first game as Hibernian manager, away to Dundee United, and Dundee won 2-1 in Falkirk.

You can watch the highlights of those games on Sportscene.

Will there be another protest from Celtic fans in their continuing battle with the board and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond?

There's certainly some big team news for both sides...more of that shortly.

Welcome to part two of the Scottish Premiership weekend, with reigning champions Celtic taking top billing as they aim to regain the lead at the top of the table away to Motherwell at noon.

That's the early kick-off, which will be followed at 14:00 by St Johnstone's visit to Aberdeen.

Stay with us for the build-up, live commentaries and post-match reaction here online and on BBC Radio Scotland.

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