Celtic Fitness Concerns Ahead of Old Firm Derby

Celtic will leave it late before naming their side for Sunday’s Old Firm derby, with Martin O’Neill waiting on fitness updates after the bruising Europa League defeat at Celtic Park on Thursday night.

The squad were put through a recovery session on Friday, the focus firmly on damage limitation after a night that cost them more than just the result. Several players finished the game with knocks, and the medical team now holds the key to O’Neill’s selection.

“The players are just a bit of a warm-down today, the lads who played most of the game, so we’ll see how they are,” the Celtic manager said on Friday. “There’s one or two lads who came off; we’ll have a look to see how they are tomorrow.”

Those “one or two” are at the heart of his concerns. The players who logged the heaviest minutes stayed on a light programme, with staff closely monitoring any reaction before deciding whether niggles become something more serious.

The timing could hardly be harsher. Celtic have only a brief window to reset before Rangers arrive on Sunday for the second Old Firm derby of the season, a Premiership meeting loaded with context and pressure.

Rangers come into it with the psychological edge, having swept Celtic aside 3-0 last weekend. That result has sharpened the stakes and left O’Neill with even less margin for error as he juggles recovery, tactics and selection in a compressed 72-hour spell.

Medical checks over the next couple of days will dictate how bold he can be. By Sunday, the picture will be clear enough: who has shaken off the knocks, who misses out, and whether Celtic can summon a response against the side that dominated them only a week ago.