Motherwell

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Cillian Sheridan believes Motherwell will be "genuinely lucky" to retain forward Tawanda Maswanhise.

Maswanhise has scored 12 goals for the Fir Park side this season and continued his good form with a goal for Zimbabwe in their 3-2 Africa Cup of Nations defeat by South Africa on Monday.

The 23-year-old has played wide and through the middle this term.

"They'll genuinely be lucky to keep a hold of him," former Celtic and Republic of Ireland forward Sheridan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"The start he's had, the goals he's scored and he's continuing to do it at international level in a big tournament. So, it'll be interesting if they can hold on to him in January, I think.

"My guess would be that [it] would be a club outwith Scotland. It's good that he's done it for Motherwell in the Scottish league, but the fact he's doing it at a major tournament probably will alert bigger clubs in different leagues.

"So, I wouldn't be surprised to see him leave the country and leave the league."

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Motherwell's on-loan defender Stephen Welsh cannot play against his parent club while Regan Charles-Cook is injured and Tawanda Maswanhise is on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Andy Halliday, Jordan McGhee and Aston Oxborough are closing in on returns while long-term absentees Sam Nicholson, Zach Robinson, Filip Stuparevic and Eseosa Sule continue their rehab.

Celtic remain without Kelechi Iheanacho, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Marcelo Saracchi along with Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

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Tawanda Maswanhise scored a fantastic goal for Zimbabwe in a 3-2 defeat to South Africa, which ends their involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

On 19 minutes, the Motherwell forward jinked past a couple of defenders and rifled a low shot into the corner to level the game at 1-1.

A late penalty converted by Oswin Appollis proved to be the decisive goal.

A second defeat of the tournament leaves Zimbabwe last in Group B, with Egypt and the South Africans progressing.

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• Motherwell are winless in their last 35 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D5 L30) since a 2-1 league win in December 2015.

• Celtic have won each of their last 11 away games at Motherwell in all competitions by an aggregate score of 36-7, scoring 2+ goals in all 11 wins.

• Motherwell are without a win in their last 31 league matches against reigning Scottish champions (D7 L24) since a 2-1 away win over Celtic in December 2015. At home, the Steelmen have lost each of their last 10 league games versus defending champions, conceding 35 goals in the process.

• Motherwell have only lost their final league game of a calendar year in one of the last four years (W2 D1), a 0-3 defeat at Rangers in 2022. They last faced Celtic to finish off a year in 2010, losing 1-0.

• Celtic's Daizen Maeda has been directly involved in 30 goals in 33 Scottish Premiership appearances in 2025 (18 goals, 12 assists). Since Opta have this data available (from 2013-14), the only players to record more goal involvements in a single calendar year in the competition are Anthony Stokes (31 in 2014) and Leigh Griffiths (32 in 2015).

Motherwell players were "lost for words" at the decision not to award them a penalty late on in their defeat at Rangers on Saturday, says midfielder Elliot Watt. (Daily Record), external

Read all of Monday's Scottish football gossip

Watch highlights as Rangers end Motherwell's unbeaten run with a narrow win at Ibrox to replace the Steelmen in third place in the Scottish Premiership. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your views on Motherwell's 1-0 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox.

Here's what some of you said:

James: Another great performance but with no cutting edge. Also robbed by the no penalty decision, gutted for the team.

Susan: Motherwell deserved more from that game. Rangers got away with it, with the help of some questionable decisions by the referee. A shame but not a season-defining result. Onwards!

Marcus: Yet again the lack of a proper goalscorer has cost us and the other players act like they're scared to take a shot on. If we get an offer for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos like we did in the summer then I would hope we take it and put that money towards a new striker. Also, it's time to give up on the Callum Hendry project, he is simply not good enough. Until we have a proper striker, this team will just spin its wheels and go nowhere.

Grant: It shows how far we have come that we are disappointed with not getting something at Ibrox. It's great to see us going for it and it also shows the new manager that we can't expect to get a penalty away to Rangers with the structure in Scotland.

Colin: Our lack of penetration and goal threat is and will be the biggest undoing this season. You can't go to a place like Ibrox and miss so many chances and not get punished in the end. We need to try and address this in January if possible, our two main strikers just don't have the cutting edge needed. Calum Ward had a great game and was our man of the match.

John: Once again an outstanding performance from Motherwell, except for the missing link, someone to convert the chances. Clearly a penalty in the dying embers, would be interesting to hear the VAR commentary.

Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou: "We did everything we could to win the game, and even at the end when we were 1-0 down we did our best to at least get one goal and get a draw.

"At times, it was an absolutely outstanding performance. There was a lot of momentum change, especially in the first half when we started fantastically in the first 15, 20 minutes.

"Both goalkeepers had to pull out one hell of a performance.

"I think we did everything we could and created a few opportunities in the end and also an opportunity that should, any day, have led to a penalty.

"He takes a very smart move between the legs of Fernandez and tries to get passed him, Fernandez lets his leg hang a little bit and trips him.

"I think it's quite simple and obvious."

Rangers moved into third over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership with a narrow 1-0 win.

Have your say on the game here.

Read our match report here.

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Rangers defender John Souttar has returned to training after eight games out with a muscle injury but is unlikely to feature.

Nasser Djiga is on Africa Cup of Nations duty. Derek Cornelius, Nedim Bajrami and Oliver Antman remain out with muscle injuries while Rabbi Matondo (knee) is closing in on a comeback.

Motherwell defender Liam Gordon is back after missing the win over Dundee with illness.

Andy Halliday, Jordan McGhee and Aston Oxborough are closing in on returns while long-term absentees Filip Stuparevic (knee), Sam Nicholson (knee), Zach Robinson (Achilles) and Eseosa Sule (thigh) continue their rehab.

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Johnny Koutroumbis happily played host to several Motherwell team-mates on Christmas Day as Jens Berthel Askou's side forge close connections on and off the pitch.

Compatriot Oscar Priestman, New Zealand international Elijah Just and Austrian midfielder Lukas Fadinger were the guests - but Koutroumbis steered clear of cooking, "just to avoid any mistakes".

"My missus cooked this time, kept me out of the kitchen," said the 27-year-old full-back.

"It was like a multicultural Christmas. I think about my past Christmases, spending it away from family. Australia's Australia, I can catch a flight home whenever I would like, but it's so big that it's expensive.

"So being in different cities, I would spend Christmas with other families that I've met along the way.

"So for me to host Christmas this year for a couple of the boys meant that I could bring everyone together. And some of them, like Oscar, were spending their first Christmas away from home.

"So it's good to have that, you know you're not spending Christmas alone. I mean, even though he has a partner, it's good to just bring everyone close around this time of year and make everyone feel special.

"There's no bad blood between anyone. Whatever happens out on the pitch, everyone shakes each other's hand afterwards and we go the next day.

"I think we're all on the same wavelength in that regard. We all want to go in the same direction.

"We all have a goal this year to have as much success as possible, as a team and as individuals as well.

"I don't think it's a surprise by the way that we conduct ourselves on the pitch at training and during the games that we're in the position that we are, because I feel totally confident we can keep pushing and see the next half of the season go our way."

The Steelmen, who face Rangers are Ibrox on Saturday, have not conceded a goal in 581 minutes and have kept six consecutive clean sheets, their best run since 1996.

Askou's side have not lost in 10 Premiership games and sit one place above Rangers in the table.

Talking about the defensive record, Koutroumbis said: "We work a lot at it at training. So it's no surprise to us. We do a lot of game situations where we have to defend where the numbers aren't in our favour, and we deal with it sometimes out on the pitch as well.

"And Wardy [Calum Ward] has saved us numerous times as well when they have got shots off.

"But it's just a credit to the collective group, not only just the defensive players, but as a team as well, because the defence starts at the top and works its way down. It's a wavelength thing and we work at it consistently at training."

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• Rangers have won just one of their past five league meetings with Motherwell (D2 L2), going winless in their latest three (D2 L1) since a 2-1 victory in August 2024. Never before have the Ibrox club gone four games without a league win against the Steelmen.

• Motherwell have won two of their past three away league games at Rangers (L1), as many as their previous 45 beforehand (W2 D7 L36). They are looking to win successive such visits for the first time in their history, with this their 141st trip.

• Rangers have won three of their four home league games under Danny Rohl (D1), after only winning two of their previous 10 prior to his arrival (D4 L4).

• Rangers' James Tavernier has been directly involved in 18 goals in 27 Scottish Premiership appearances against Motherwell (9 goals, 9 assists), only having a hand in more against St Johnstone (20 – 8 goals, 12 assists) and Ross County (19 – 8 goals, 11 assists) in the competition.

• Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise - who misses out at Ibrox because he is playing at the Africa Cup of Nations - has scored more goals (8) than any other player aged 23 or younger in the Scottish Premiership this season. He also has the joint-most goal involvements (9 – 8 goals, 1 assist) by players 23 or under (level with Kieron Bowie).

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Motherwell will have Liam Gordon back in their squad for Saturday's Scottish Premiership encounter with Rangers.

The defender missed last weekend's 1-0 win over Dundee but will face a battle to dislodge Paul McGinn and Stephen Welsh from central defence after the Steelmen made it six games without conceding a goal.

Manager Jens Berthel Askou said: "We have Liam Gordon back in the squad. He was sick the last game. Besides that there is nothing new."

Welsh is set to play his last game of 2025 at Ibrox as the on-loan Celtic defender cannot face the champions on December 30.

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland

"This is the best football I've ever seen a Motherwell team play."

Read any message board, tune in to any football phone-in, eavesdrop into frenzied chats of the masses spewing out on to Knowetop Avenue and Firpark Street on a Saturday night and this is what you will hear.

Granted there won't be many still about who remember the Ancell Babes or the Motherwell team from the 1930s who put three by Argentina, but still. It's fair praise.

Jens Berthel Askou has only been in post for six months, but it's not an exaggeration to say his influence has been transformational.

Bizarrely, the Steelmen are only four points better off than this date last year as they sat fourth, but there is precious little similar to that side, whose form then fell off a cliff.

After the 1-0 win over Dundee on Saturday, the statistics behind Askou's team are remarkable. Well have gone 581 minutes - or six full games - without conceding a goal, that's one shutout away from equalling a club record, set in 1996.

Motherwell are also on a 10-game unbeaten run in the league.

As impressive as that is, Askou and his team are about to enter a defining hat-trick of matches.

Rangers at Ibrox, then Celtic at Fir Park, then the visit of League Cup holders St Mirren. A tough trio to topple.

However, if Motherwell's mesmeric football and marathon unbeaten run continues, fans will be daring to dream of something so special.

Watch highlights as Motherwell win 1-0 against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Motherwell's 1-0 win against Dundee.

Here's what some of you said:

Mark: A brilliant Christmas gift to all Motherwell fans. To have 30 points at this point in the season is incredible!

Solid and comfortable performance but maybe we could have been more clinical. If I was being greedy I would ask for a £1m striker for Christmas. Jens Berthel Askou's men roll onto the Old Firm. Merry Christmas Steelmen!

Pauline: What a job Askou is doing at Motherwell. He's fantastic.

Alexander: Another clean sheet but once more very wasteful in front of goal. Are we being spoilt by our play as we should be scoring more?

Alan: The feel good factor continues for Motherwell, they have been a joy to watch this season. The crowds have been increasing along with our ambitions.

Marcus: A win is something to never complain about, however as I said to the older gentleman I sit next to in the Phil O'Donnell Stand, we'll be drawing games or scraping wins like this all season if we continue to not have a functioning striker in the team.

How much more time, effort and patience is going to be given to Callum Hendry and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos? I have run out of patience with them and I know that I can't possibly be the only one. I sincerely hope the club loosen the purse strings and let Askou bring in a capable striker next month.

Alistair: Not one of our best performances, with too many overhit passes and an excessive desire to score the perfect goal by walking it into the net instead of having a shot from further out.

However, a deserved three points, another clean sheet and a great display by Eli Just. What an engine this guy has, allied to a tremendous touch, great attitude and no little skill. A joy to watch.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Callum Slattery says nobody at Motherwell is getting "carried away" despite their late winner against Dundee moving them up to third in the Scottish Premiership table.

The win moved the midfielder's side on to 30 points after 18 games and extended their unbeaten run to 10 league matches.

"I think we definitely don't get too ahead of ourselves and carried away," the 26-year-old told BBC Scotland.

"The club's in a fantastic place at the moment. There's plenty of talk about the club and the style of play we're playing, but we're not going to let it get to us.

"And it doesn't mean anything until the season's done. So we're going into each game as it comes and we want to perform to our highest level."

Despite Well earning many plaudits this season, Slattery says he's "not sure" if they deserve to be spoken about as being part of a title race.

"We're playing good football and we're winning games and we're keeping clean sheets," he said. "We're just going in to each game with that mentality, which is to keep going each game and trying to tick off the games with points and winning games and not conceding goals.

"So, I think maybe to speak about that, we wouldn't like to, but other people maybe can. But, for us, it's just going into each game with good performances and creating chances and scoring goals."

Slattery is hoping the side can continue their run of form when they meet both sides of the Old Firm in their next two games.

They face Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday followed by Celtic at Fir Park on Tuesday, 30 December.

"We've played both of them before and we've given them a good game and could have actually walked away with three points in both of them," Slattery added.

"We go into games with a positive attitude of how we want to play our game. And I don't think that changes for these games."

Motherwell moved up to third in the Scottish Premiership after Callum Slattery's late goal edged them to victory against a struggling Dundee.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game via this link

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Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou: "We never gave into the frustration that might sneak in and that everyone could feel from the stands.

"That's something we have been addressing throughout the season. There will be many games where we have to make a lot of mistakes before we get the ball over the line so we have to sort that frustration out and fill it up with positivity, optimism and good positive body language and know there will be a chance if we keep going.

"We got the goal at the end, another clean sheet and winning a game after a few games that have been difficult is fantastic.

"Any win in this league is extremely important and extremely significant. We've had so many draws this season where we've been extremely competitive and felt we could have taken the win, sometimes should have. Today was another one of these games against a good team who forced a lot of mistakes out of us.

"A massive win, it's important for us to change some of the draws we've had into wins and we're getting better at that. Not good enough yet but today I think we were able to produce more and more quality as the game went froward and that was important.

"At the beginning of the season it's [winning the league] not what's top of the list but anyone who participates in a league they play to win and for us it's about playing every game to win, finding a style and a level to be competitive against any opponent and then we want to see how far we can take it. The big first goal is to try and make it into the top six and then from there we're going to reach out and grab hold of anything and try and see how far we can climb up the tree.

"I think we've tried to signal that to our players that they shouldn't fear anyone, we should be brave no matter who we play."