Falkirk vs Celtic injury news: 7 outs and 2 doubts as champions aim to extend lead at Premiership summit

Celtic head into Sunday’s clash at Falkirk with a golden opportunity to move clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table and turn the pressure up on their inactive title rivals.

With Rangers and Hearts both out of league action due to their Premier Sports Cup commitments this weekend, Martin O’Neill's side can stretch their lead at the summit to a seven points with a victory over the Bairns.

The champions will be highly motivated to bounce back instantly after dropping two points in Wednesday’s frustrating 2–2 draw with Dundee United at Parkhead. The Hoops have been flawless on the road this season, and will be eager to reassert their domestic dominance against John McGlynn’s men, who currently sitting in sixth place.

While the hosts enter the match on a three-game winning streak, they have yet to face an attacking force of Celtic's calibre on their home synthetic pitch. They are sure to make this a demanding assignment for, with Falkirk’s defensive unit currently among the best in the league, bettered only by Celtic and Rangers.

Both managers remain without a handful of key players. GlasgowWorld takes a look at which players won’t or are unlikely to be involved on Sunday.

Alistair Johnston (Celtic) - OUT

Canadian right-back suffered a fresh hamstring injury just 20 minutes into his comeback against Hibs last weekend. He has been ruled out until after the upcoming international break.

Leon McCann (Falkirk) - OUT

Full-back suffered an early injury in recent action and is expected to miss out.

Auston Trusty (Celtic) - DOUBT

American central defender has missed the past couple of games action due to a family bereavement.

Joe Gardner (Falkirk) - OUT

Centre-forward is sidelined for at least another week or two with a hamstring/thigh injury.

Aidan Nesbitt (Falkirk) - DOUBT

Managing an ankle issue but could potentially be back in contention for the weekend if he passes a late fitness check.

Joel van den Berg (Celtic) - OUT

Though the Dutch midfielder has been integrated into training, he is reportedly still a long way off from full match fitness

Keelan Adams (Falkirk) - OUT

Right-sided defender remains out with an ongoing ankle issue, with no firm timeline yet for his return.

Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic) - OUT

South Korean winger continues to be unavailable for selection due to an ongoing hamstring problem.

Aodhan Doherty (Falkirk) - OUT

Northern Irish winger is still recovering from a foot/ankle injury and remains on the treatment table.

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