St Johnstone vs Motherwell - prediction, team news, lineups

St Johnstone invited Motherwell to McDiarmid Park connected Wednesday evening for circular 11 of the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership campaign.

In their erstwhile outing, the Saints fell to a thumping 4-0 decision against Rangers astatine Ibrox Stadium, portion the Steelmen were beaten 2-0 astatine location by Hearts.

Match preview

After winning promotion from the Scottish Championship astatine the archetypal clip of asking past season, finishing apical of the array and an awesome 11 points wide of runners-up Patrick Thistle, St Johnstone volition beryllium contented with the commencement they person made to their latest apical formation campaign.

While they whitethorn presently beryllium successful the division’s Relegation Group, the Saints are conscionable 3 points down Dundee United successful 4th and person been particularly beardown astatine home, picking up 8 of their 12 league points astatine McDiarmid Park portion losing conscionable erstwhile determination this play too.

However, St Johnstone volition undoubtedly beryllium a small disappointed with their performances successful the Scottish League Cup, arsenic pursuing consecutive campaigns successful the knockout stages of the tournament, Simo Valakari’s men won conscionable 2 of their opening 4 fixtures to decorativeness 3rd successful their radical and stumble astatine the archetypal hurdle.

Having endured a dense 4-0 decision against Rangers past weekend, the Saints volition surely beryllium hoping for an instant bounce backmost connected Wednesday erstwhile they look Motherwell, who they claimed a melodramatic comeback triumph implicit erstwhile the sides past met astatine McDiarmid Park successful the Scottish Premiership. 

Following a respectable 2025-26 league campaign, earning qualification to this season’s UEFA Conference League playoff rounds arsenic a effect of their fourth-placed finish, Motherwell volition beryllium bitterly disappointed with however the existent play has panned retired truthful far.

Despite losing nary of their archetypal 4 league matches, a feat which was achieved by lone 2 different teams successful the division, Alfred Johansson’s broadside person been defeated successful each of their erstwhile six outings and subsequently beryllium tenth successful the Scottish Premiership table with conscionable a constituent buffer to Hibernian astatine the foot.

Much similar their opposition, the Steelmen were dealt an aboriginal exit successful some of their cupful competitions too, falling to a 1-0 decision against Championship broadside Stenhousemuir successful the Scottish League Cup Round of 16 earlier suffering a thumping 7-2 aggregate nonaccomplishment to SC Freiburg successful their decisive Conference League playoff tie.

Claiming triumph successful each of their erstwhile 2 matches against St Johnstone, including a 1-0 triumph astatine McDiarmid Park to sound the Saints retired of the Scottish League Cup past season, Motherwell volition beryllium hoping to proceed their beardown caller grounds against the hosts connected Wednesday and ascent distant from the bottommost of the league table.

St Johnstone Scottish Premiership form:

St Johnstone signifier (all competitions):

Motherwell Scottish Premiership form:

Motherwell signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Having suffered a play ending genu injury, defender Zach Mitchell has returned to Charlton Athletic aboriginal from his indebtedness spell and won’t look again for St Johnstone, though Croatian defender Bozo Mikulic managed to instrumentality to enactment for the Saints past weekend.

After coming disconnected the seat against Rangers, Kai Fotheringham was shown a consecutive reddish paper for a precocious tackle connected Nicolas Raskin and is truthful unavailable for Valakari connected Wednesday.

Netting six times successful the Scottish Premiership truthful acold this season, putting him associated apical of the division’s scoring charts, Josh Fowler is undoubtedly the hosts’ dangerman and volition beryllium looking to station his 5th location extremity of the play this week.

Both Callum Hendry and Paul McGinn proceed to beryllium retired for Motherwell due to the fact that of terrible genu injuries, portion 23-year-old Australian Oscar Priestman is besides expected to beryllium unavailable with a calf issue.

The Steelmen volition beryllium waiting connected a precocious fittingness trial to find whether Dylan Williams tin diagnostic too, with the defender missing the erstwhile 3 matches due to the fact that of a hamstring problem.

Contributing to 4 strikes truthful acold this season, including 2 goals successful his erstwhile 3 outings, Alex Lowry has provided Motherwell with a extremity menace from midfield and is apt to commencement alongside Dylan Levitt and Lukas Fadinger successful the mediate of the parkland connected Wednesday.

St Johnstone imaginable starting lineup:

Steward; Smith, Finlayson, Diabate; Steven, McAlear, Cotterill, Alic; Gullan, Campbell; Fowler

Motherwell imaginable starting lineup:

Paulsen; Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich; Moormann, Longelo; Fadinger, Levitt; Maswanhise, Lowry, Hodge; Palmer-Houlden

We say: St Johnstone 2-1 Motherwell

Possessing a beardown caller grounds against Wednesday's hosts, Motherwell volition beryllium hoping that they tin get the amended of St Johnstone for the 3rd successive clip this week and arsenic a effect borderline themselves dilatory towards the Championship Group.

However, losing to conscionable Celtic and Rangers successful their erstwhile 7 league outings, it is the Saints that we are backing to instrumentality each the spoils astatine McDiarmid Park instead, lifting them into the division's apical six and putting them 7 points supra the Steelmen.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.