Celtic seek a share of the summit

Scottish football

Scottish football

Morten Wieghorst is on stand-by for his full Parkhead debut as Celtic attempt to join Rangers at the top of the table today. With the league leaders idle until tomorrow at Aberdeen, a home victory against Partick Thistle would put Celtic level on points.

Celtic's manager, Tommy Burns, has the midfielder Peter Grant doubtful with a groin injury, so the former Dundee player Wieghorst is hoping to start. "Peter is 50-50 with a groin injury and if he doesn't make it then Morten could come in," said Burns, who also has the Scotland international Phil O'Donnell back in the squad.

Malcolm Mackay, John Hughes and a fit-again Brian O'Neil contest the defensive roles as Tom Boyd begins a three-match suspension.

Celtic's unbeaten domestic run stretches back 23 games and spans five months of action. That means it is a tall order for Murdo Macleod's side, a point clear of Motherwell at the foot of the table.

"We made a few chances on our last visit before Celtic won 2-1 and we must go there thinking positively," said Macleod, who has Billy McDonald and Callum Milne suspended and Tommy Turner injured.

Motherwell, for whom Tommy Coyne played 70 minutes in a reserve game on Thursday, meet Raith Rovers at Fir Park. Last season's runners-up have not won two games in a row all season - and Raith will be fired up with yesterday's permanent appointments of Jimmy Thomson as manager and Jim McInally as player-assistant manager, after they had filled the same roles in a caretaker capacity for the the past two weeks.