Glasgow, Scotland – Celtic has opened the Scottish Premier League season with a pair of road victories and kicks off its home slate Saturday against Dundee United at Celtic Park.
Hoops manager Neil Lennon certainly wouldn't call the two wins a perfect start, especially after fullback Emilio Izaguirre fractured his ankle in last week's win over Aberdeen.
With the Honduras international, who was named Scottish PFA Player of the Year after last season, sidelined for six months, Charlie Mulgrew will likely step in to fill the void.
But that's not Lennon's only concern, as Scott Brown and Beram Kayal are both questionable after returning from international duty with knocks, while Glenn Loovens and Thomas Rogne are still out.
The one bit of good news for Lennon is that Mark Wilson is set to return, and the coach is confident his side can pull through this weekend ahead of the first fixture of its Europa League playoff round two-legged series against Switzerland's Sion on Thursday.
"A one hundred percent record so early in the season is something we will be delighted with if we win tomorrow," Lennon said. "It's all about winning the next game, though, and with the players we have missing, we may have to re-jig the team a little bit.
"We have a good squad here, though, and I'm sure those players who come in will do a good job for us."
Dundee United has lost a few notable players over the last year-and-a-half, and striker David Goodwillie recently joined the exodus with a switch to England's Blackburn.
Despite the changes, Dundee is unbeaten through three games with a win and two draws, and Lennon knows his club can't overlook the visitors this weekend.
"Their away form is pretty decent so it will be a difficult game for us. I don't know what formation they will play but whatever team he (Dundee manager Peter Houston) puts out they always try and cause an upset," Lennon said.
Three-time defending league champion Rangers, mid-table with a win and a draw from its two games, hopes to have captain Davie Weir back for Saturday's match at Inverness. Weir hurt his hamstring in the Champions League qualifier against Sweden's Malmo, which bounced the Scottish club in a two-game series.
"I have been a little bit slower in recovering than I would have hoped. I was hoping to be back for last weekend but I didn't make it so I have been working day to day and we will see what happens," Weir said.
"I obviously want to get back quickly but I want to stay back so I have to make sure I am right."
First-place Motherwell will try to maintain its unbeaten record at St. Mirren on Saturday, while Hearts hosts Aberdeen and St. Johnstone hosts Dunfermline in the day's other games. Kilmarnock hosts Hibernian in Sunday's lone fixture.
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