Already firmly stuck in at the start of the 2025/26 campaign, Celtic have been drawn against Kazakhstani club Kairat Almaty for the Champions League playoffs, with the first leg set for Wednesday at home.
As the Scottish Premiership does not rank high enough to earn a guaranteed League Phase berth, Celtic secured a spot in the playoff round with last season’s league championship. They must therefore navigate this two-legged round to earn a place in the coveted League Phase.
Brendan Rodgers has overseen a strong start to the domestic campaign, beginning the league season with a 2-0 road victory over Aberdeen before trouncing Falkirk 4-1 in the League Cup Round of 16 last weekend.
They will be wary of Kairat’s Cinderella-like credentials, with the Kazakhstani club seeing their way through the entirety of the competition thus far, all the way from back in the first qualifying round. They have knocked off Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia, KuPS of Finland, and Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia, with the latter eliminated via a penalty shootout in the third qualifying round.
The Sporting News runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides as the match draws nearer.
Celtic vs. Kairat lineups: Starting XI, team news, injuries
The only major injury absence for Celtic is the continued recovery of Jota, who has been absent since tearing his ACL during the league playoffs towards the end of last season. He is likely to be out until the calendar turns to 2026.
Celtic boast largely the same squad from last season, having done little business in either direction this summer. They saw Nicolas Kuhn join Italian side Como for €19 million, while adding Shin Yamada, Benjamin Nygren, and Hayato Inamura for small fees. Inamura will not take part in this game, though, having been left out of Celtic’s Champions League squad amid rumours of a loan move.
They did sign Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney on a free transfer, and he has slid straight into the starting lineup. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is yet to feature since joining on loan from Manchester City. Adam Idah returns in attack after being rested for the 4-1 win over Falkirk. American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is one of the first players on the teamsheet, but his fellow countryman Auston Trusty has seemingly lost his place alongside CCV to Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales.
Celtic starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Schmeichel (GK) — 2. Johnston, 20. Carter-Vickers, 5. Scales, 63. Tierney — 8. Nygren, 42. McGregor, 41. Hatate — 49. Forrest, 9. Idah, 38. Maeda.
Injured: Jota (ACL)
Suspended: None
Ineligible: Inamura
Kairat have enjoyed a famous run to the Champions League playoff round, but enter this match on the back of two straight defeats. They were beaten 1-0 at Slovan Bratislava before advancing anyways on a penalty shootout, before a 3-2 league defeat to FC Yelimay at home.
The club recently completed the sale of its most talented young player, 17-year-old Dastan Satpaev, to Chelsea in just the last few days, with his €4 million price tag the highest for any player in the Kazakhstani league ever. He cannot legally join the London side until he turns 18, meaning he will remain with the club until then.
Satpaev was the hero against Slovan Bratislava, and he has built a strong connection with creative force Valery Gromyko. Yegor Sorokin was a doubt due to Visa issues but reports suggest he will be available and indeed he starts.
Kairat starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Zarutskiy (GK) — 20. Tapalov, 80. Sorokin, 14. Martynovich, 18. Glazer — 24. Mrynskiy, 55. Gromyko, 15. Arad — 26. Filho, 9. Satpaev, 7. Jorginho.
Injured: None.
Suspended: None.
Celtic vs. Kairat match details
- Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
- Kickoff Time: 8 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Celtic Park (Glasgow, Scotland)
- Referee: Espen Eskas (NOR)
- Last meeting: None (First meeting)
Originally, it was reported that Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg was assigned to officiate this match, coming off a recent game where he was praised by Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho, who suffered defeat, for his performance.
However, he was replaced in his latest domestic assignment at the last moment, and was not assigned a fixture in the upcoming round of Swedish league matches, indicating there could be an injury or other reason for his absence. Thus, Norwegian referee Espen Eska will take charge of this game.
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