Martin O’Neill’s Return for Celtic at Kilmarnock Uncertain
Martin O’Neill will decide for himself whether he is in the dugout for Celtic’s trip to Kilmarnock on Sunday, with assistant Shaun Maloney insisting there is “no timeline” on the 74-year-old’s return after a minor hospital procedure.
O’Neill, handed a one-year deal in the summer after transforming Celtic last season and delivering a league and cup Double from two caretaker spells, was discharged from hospital on Thursday. The club has called it a “small procedure”, but the decision on when he reappears on the touchline rests entirely with him.
Maloney visited his manager on Thursday night and painted an upbeat picture.
“He was in good form – loads better than he was Monday, Tuesday,” the assistant said. The improvement has lifted spirits around Lennoxtown, but not to the point of making promises about Rugby Park. The message is simple: O’Neill will come back when he is ready.
He was in the dugout as Celtic opened their Scottish Premiership defence with a 1-0 win over Dundee on Monday, a reassuring sight for players and supporters alike. Since then, though, the week has been dictated by medical advice and O’Neill’s own judgement.
“Even for the game at the weekend, it’s sort of day-to-day,” Maloney explained. “We saw him last night with regards to the preparation for the game and then he wasn’t in today. I’ll speak to him this afternoon and then he’ll make a call for tomorrow. And then I’d imagine he’ll make the call for the game at the weekend.
“But, if it’s this weekend, great. If it isn’t, then we’ll prepare for it with that one.”
If O’Neill stays away, Maloney will step into the technical area at Rugby Park. He has managed Hibernian and Wigan, but doing so as Celtic’s stand‑in would still feel unusual.
“It would be strange,” he admitted. “We’ll definitely miss him if he’s not there but you also have to respect what’s happened the last few days.”
That respect is rooted in what O’Neill has already done since returning in October. Celtic were searching for direction when he came back; they finished the campaign with both major domestic trophies and a renewed edge.
“The impact that he’s had over, what was it, since October, it’s been nothing short of incredible really – the things that he does with the players and the staff,” Maloney said. “So we will miss him, but we’ll be prepared. We’ve got some brilliant senior players, but we’ll see. We’ll let him make the call.”
On the transfer front, Maloney does not expect any late twist before Sunday. Reports have linked Celtic with a move for Oviedo’s Egyptian winger Haissem Hassan, but the assistant made clear that recruitment conversations remain strictly between O’Neill and chief executive Michael Nicholson.
Maloney is aware of interest in midfielder Arne Engels and right-back Alistair Johnston, yet he has been given no indication that either will be missing at Kilmarnock. For now, the squad that edged past Dundee is the squad he plans around.
So Celtic travel to Rugby Park with their title defence only just underway, their manager recovering at home and their assistant ready to front up if required. The club has ridden O’Neill’s momentum for months; on Sunday, the question is whether they must do it for 90 minutes without him on the touchline.
