Kieran Tierney Recovery Update: Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill Optimistic

Martin O’Neill has given Celtic supporters the update they badly wanted on Kieran Tierney – and it is far brighter than first feared.

Speaking before Saturday’s trip to St Mirren, the Celtic manager revealed the 29-year-old defender is ahead of schedule in his recovery, even if he will not be risked in Paisley.

“Yeah, so, Kieran is doing fine at this minute. Really fine,” O’Neill said at his Friday press conference. “I thought that he might be a wee bit longer, and he's doing fine.”

Pressed on whether Tierney, or fellow absentee Kasper Høgh, might make a surprise appearance at the weekend, O’Neill did not hesitate.

“I would have thought it very, very unlikely for both of them,” he admitted.

So Tierney stays out for St Mirren. Høgh too. But the mood music has changed. What looked like a longer lay-off now has a clear end in sight. Provided Tierney comes through training without a setback, O’Neill expects him to be available either in midweek or for the following fixture. Days, not weeks.

Why Tierney’s return matters

This is not just about a name on a teamsheet. Tierney gives Celtic something they simply do not replicate elsewhere in the squad.

From left-back he stretches the pitch, drives high and wide, and still has the legs to sprint back when the ball breaks the other way. Under O’Neill, the full-backs are asked to morph the shape – one stepping into advanced territory, the other tucking in to create a back three. Tierney fits that demand almost perfectly.

He carries the ball into space, forces opposing wingers and full-backs to turn towards their own goal, and opens a lane inside for the left winger to drift into central pockets. Without him, Liam Scales and others can fill in, but the dynamic changes. The attacks lose some snap. Transitions feel that bit more fragile.

His defensive numbers back up the eye test. A reported 4.2 successful tackles per 90 last season underline why O’Neill views him as a cornerstone of the side’s pressing and counter-pressing work. When Celtic lose the ball high, Tierney is often the one racing into the duel.

Depth brings choices – and problems

O’Neill’s summer rebuild shapes the picture as well. Five loan arrivals in the final 48 hours of the window have thickened the squad for a campaign that will be crammed with domestic and European fixtures.

That extra depth gives Celtic the luxury they often lacked in past years: they do not have to gamble on half-fit players just because the calendar is unforgiving. Tierney and Høgh can return when they are ready, not when the fixture list panics the medical staff.

There is a cost. UEFA’s strict registration rules for European competition have already forced Celtic to leave three young players out of their Europa League squad, a harsh by-product of senior depth. The margins for inclusion are tight, and every returning starter shifts the balance again.

Tierney’s comeback will reshape that left flank. His pace, passing range and relentless willingness to attack the space in front of him allow Celtic to be bold without tearing holes in their own back line. The structure O’Neill wants – aggressive, front-foot, yet controlled – depends heavily on that profile of full-back.

For now, St Mirren comes too early. The away end will travel without one of its favourite sons on the pitch. But the message from the manager is clear: the wait is almost over, and with Høgh also edging closer, Celtic’s season is about to get its full cast back on stage.