Celtic Count Knocks Ahead of Old Firm Derby

Celtic will spend the build-up to Sunday’s Old Firm derby counting bruises as much as tactics after their Europa League defeat on Thursday night left several players needing assessment.

Martin O'Neill confirmed his squad were put through a recovery session on Friday at Celtic Park, with the focus on warm-down work for those who carried the bulk of the minutes in Europe. The medical team will now decide who is fit enough to face Rangers.

“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. “There's one or two lads who came off; we'll have a look to see how they are tomorrow.”

Those “one or two” withdrawals have sharpened the sense of urgency. Celtic have almost no breathing space: a bruising European night, a short turnaround, then Rangers at home in the Premiership on Sunday.

The pressure is already cranked up. Rangers beat Celtic 3-0 just last weekend, and this will be the second Old Firm clash of the season, leaving O’Neill with little time to reset his side physically or mentally.

For now, the players who logged heavy minutes are being eased through their recovery while the club’s medical staff run checks and monitor any lingering problems. Only once those reports land will O’Neill know exactly what kind of XI he can put on the pitch.

Celtic want a response. Rangers arrive with the confidence of that recent three-goal win. The question is simple and brutal: who will be fit enough, and ready enough, to stop them?