Martin O'Neill says Kasper Høgh and Kieran Tierney are close enough to be checked again before Celtic's trip to ST Johnstone. He said Høgh has been back for the last couple of days and Tierney did some work with the group on Tuesday morning.
O'Neill's line was simple: "it's a matter of trying to get your best players on the field." That fits the shape of the week ahead, with Rangers and Ferencvaros following quickly after Wednesday.
Selection over rotation
There is a clear reason O'Neill is pushing for caution with the squad size. Yang Hyun-Jun will miss Celtic's next 4 matches because he is away at the Asian Games, so every attacking option matters.
Camilo Duran has helped cover that gap, scoring 6 goals in 8 matches this term while operating at centre-forward. Kasper Høgh has 3 goals in 5 Celtic appearances since joining from Bodo/Glimt, which is why his return feels important even if he is only being assessed at this point.
O'Neill also made clear where his priority sits. "I genuinely can't [have one eye on it] and that's honestly where I think, first of all, we have to play our game. We have to try and defend a title. We have to try and win a football match. And to me, this game is far more important than Sunday's match."
What Celtic get back if Høgh and Tierney are ready
Høgh has not played since Celtic's Champions League play-off defeat against LASK on 25 August. His return would give Celtic another natural option in attack, while Tierney's involvement would add another body to a week that already contains ST Johnstone, two Rangers derbies and a Europa League opener against Ferencvaros.
O'Neill said Høgh had the extra day over Tierney, and that the pair would be assessed again on Wednesday. The immediate test is whether either can be involved at McDiarmid Park, with the stronger fixtures still to come after that.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
