Celtic's Strengthened Squad Ahead of Weekend Fixtures

Celtic manager O’Neill will take a stronger-looking squad into the weekend – but he knows he’ll be missing one of his most influential wide men just as the fixtures start to bite.

Høgh close, Tierney back – and competition up front

Striker Kasper Høgh has returned to training over the last couple of days and is pushing hard for involvement, with O’Neill describing him as the likelier of the recent absentees to feature. Kieran Tierney has also rejoined full sessions with the group after his own lay-off, putting his name back into the conversation for selection.

There are, O’Neill admitted, “a couple of other fitness issues for players”, the sort of niggles that tend to cloud a manager’s thinking on the eve of a game. But the bigger picture is clear: Celtic look far better stocked in attack than they did a year ago.

The manager’s excitement around 18-year-old forward talent is obvious, even if he chooses his words carefully. “I expect him to do well. He looks a player,” O’Neill said, before checking himself. He does not want to “be throwing a host of accolades in someone’s direction if they’re not up for it”, yet he is convinced the teenager is “definitely capable”.

That confidence stretches across his forward line. With Høgh, Mheuka, Camilo Duran and Callum Osmand all available, O’Neill believes Celtic finally have the depth and variety he craved. “We definitely have better options up front than we had last season,” he said, admitting that at times last term he was “wondering where the goals were going to come from”. That question no longer keeps him awake at night.

Yang’s absence leaves a gap

Just as the attack begins to feel fully armed, Celtic must do without one of their most industrious performers. South Korea winger Yang Hyun-jun will miss the next four matches due to Asian Games duty, and O’Neill did not hide how big a hole that leaves.

Yang has been central to Celtic’s recent surge, not only with the ball at his feet. “He’s playing exceptionally well for what he does with the ball,” O’Neill said. “It’s terrific, he’s scored a couple of very important goals for us.” The praise did not stop there. The manager highlighted Yang’s tireless running and defensive discipline, insisting “what he’s doing without the ball, I don’t think anybody could question his workrate”.

Since O’Neill’s arrival, the winger has, in his words, “just responded to a bit of encouragement”. Now Celtic must find a way to replicate that energy and end product without him.

Johnstone pushing to be number one

Behind that reshaped front line, another battle is quietly unfolding. O’Neill revealed his satisfaction that Johnstone has made it clear he wants the Celtic number one jersey.

“It’s really pleasing,” the manager said. “It’s not that long ago he was involved with the England squad. He’s determined, he’s looked really good in training, and at some stage he will get into a game because it will be necessary for him.” The message is obvious: the door is open, and the standard in training is rising because of it.

Respect for Valakari’s St Johnstone

Next up come St Johnstone, and O’Neill’s respect for Simo Valakari’s work is obvious. He described them as “really talented” and welcomed the way they approach the game.

“It’s nice to see them. They want to play football as well and they’re committed,” he said, pointing to a “vitality” in their play that he finds “very encouraging”. In O’Neill’s eyes, there are clear echoes of what Craig McLeish has been building at St Mirren – a side willing to get on the ball, to compete, to ask questions.

Celtic step into this next stretch with more forwards, more competition and more belief than last season. The challenge now is simple: can this deeper, sharper squad turn that promise into relentless, title-winning output?