Martin O’Neill Provides Positive Update on Kieran Tierney's Recovery

Kieran Tierney will not make it back in time for Celtic’s trip to St Mirren on Saturday, but Martin O’Neill has handed supporters the update they were desperate to hear: the defender is ahead of schedule and closing in on a return.

Speaking at his Friday press conference, O’Neill described the 29-year-old as “doing fine” and admitted the recovery has moved quicker than he first feared.

“I thought that he might be a wee bit longer, and he's doing fine,” O’Neill said, underlining that the original lay-off had been pencilled in for a lengthier spell on the sidelines.

Tierney still sits in the “very, very unlikely” category for the weekend, the same bracket as forward Kasper Høgh. O’Neill was clear when pressed on whether either could feature against St Mirren: “I would have thought it very, very unlikely for both of them.”

The tone around Tierney, though, has shifted. If he comes through training without a setback, O’Neill now expects him to be available either in midweek or in the following match. For a fanbase braced for a longer absence, that is a significant swing in mood.

Celtic’s left side waiting for its anchor

The urgency is obvious. Tierney gives this Celtic side something no one else quite replicates.

He brings natural width from deep. He charges beyond the winger, stretches the pitch and still has the legs to race back and deal with counters when the move breaks down. In O’Neill’s aggressive pressing system, those qualities are not a luxury; they are a structural pillar.

The manager often asks one full-back to push high while the other tucks in to form a back three. Tierney reads those shifts, steps into space and carries the ball with conviction. He drags opponents out towards the touchline, freeing the left winger to drift infield and combine.

Without him, Celtic can cope, but they do not quite hum. Liam Scales and others can fill the role, yet the attacks lose some of their snap and the back line can look more vulnerable when possession flips. The numbers back it up: Tierney’s reported 4.2 successful tackles per 90 last season underline why O’Neill views his return as a defensive as well as attacking boost.

O’Neill’s summer rebuild buys precious time

The manager’s recruitment drive late in the window now looks even more important. Five loan signings arrived in the final 48 hours of the market, swelling a squad that must handle a domestic grind and European nights on top.

That extra depth changes the calculation. Celtic do not need to gamble on half-fit players just to get through the next fixture. They can wait for Tierney and Høgh to clear every medical hurdle rather than rushing them back because the schedule demands it.

There is a price. O’Neill has already acknowledged that UEFA’s strict registration rules forced Celtic to omit three young players from their Europa League squad, a harsh by-product of stacking senior options. Yet on the left flank, Tierney’s imminent return could reshape the picture again. His pace, distribution and willingness to attack give Celtic a way to be bold without leaving their centre-backs exposed on the break.

For now, Paisley will come too soon. St Mirren prepare for a Celtic side still missing its first-choice left-back and a key attacking option in Høgh. But the wait no longer feels open-ended.

Days, not weeks. That is the message from O’Neill. And for a team chasing trophies on multiple fronts, the thought of Tierney striding down that touchline again could define how far this season goes.