Dundee had a late request to postpone their cinch Premiership trip to Aberdeen rejected after losing six players on Boxing Day morning.

A positive test to James McPake’s injury-hit squad left the Dundee manager with 11 outfield players.

Dundee named four players on the bench at Pittodrie – goalkeepers Harry Sharp and Ian Lawlor, 17-year-old Callum Lamb and 40-year-old assistant manager Dave Mackay.

A club statement read: “We can confirm that our scheduled testing for Covid-19 this morning returned a positive case. As a result, five further players have been identified as close contacts.

“With these players missing and our current injury situation, we took the decision to request a postponement of today’s fixture against Aberdeen.

“The postponement request has been rejected by the SPFL and we travel with a squad of 14 players which includes three goalkeepers.

“A further member of the first-team coaching staff is also isolating.”

Celtic had severe selection issues as they beat St Johnstone 3-1 in front of a reduced-capacity crowd in Perth as new restrictions limiting attendances to 500 kicked in.

Celtic did not immediately give a reason for a number of new absences as the likes of Scott Bain, Callum McGregor, Anthony Ralston and Greg Taylor dropped out of their squad to leave Ange Postecoglou without more than a full team of players.

Saints manager Callum Davidson reported losing another player to Covid issues before the game as he welcomed back Chris Kane, one of four players who was missing for the same reason in midweek.

Championship games between Inverness and Partick Thistle plus Morton and Queen of the South, as well as the League One encounter between Queen’s Park and Dumbarton had earlier been postponed because of outbreaks.

St Mirren had previously failed with a postponement request for their Boxing Day trip to Ibrox before reluctantly playing against Celtic on Wednesday with a weakened team, although they gained an unlikely point.