Celtic's Late Fitness Checks Ahead of Old Firm Clash

Celtic will wait on late fitness checks before stepping back into the Old Firm cauldron on Sunday, with Martin O'Neill’s squad still feeling the effects of their Europa League defeat on Thursday night.

The Celtic manager confirmed his players were put through a recovery session on Friday at Celtic Park, with several key figures nursing knocks from a bruising European outing.

“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,” O’Neill said, outlining a careful approach as medical staff assess the damage. “There’s one or two lads who came off; we’ll have a look to see how they are tomorrow.”

Those who logged the heaviest minutes were limited to light work, with the club’s medical team now deciding whether any of the issues picked up could force changes for the weekend. O’Neill admitted there were concerns over “one or two” who had to be withdrawn before the final whistle.

The timing could hardly be more demanding. Celtic have only a brief window to reset before Rangers arrive on Sunday for a Premiership clash that already carries a sharp edge.

It is the second Old Firm derby of the season, and it comes just a week after Rangers swept to a 3-0 win over Celtic. That result hangs over the build-up, adding urgency to every treatment, every test, every tactical decision.

With the turnaround brutally tight, O’Neill’s plans hinge on what the next round of medical checks reveal. Only then will he know exactly who he can throw back into the fiercest fixture in Scottish football.