Aleksandar Tonev could be in line for a return to competitive football tomorrow night.
The on-loan Celtic winger is in the Bulgaria squad for tomorrow’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy in Sofia.
Tonev hasn’t played a competitive match since completing a seven match suspension for racist language at Aberdeen’s Shay Logan. The Bulgarian was found guilty on the basis of probability by the SFA.
The 25-year-old has played in a couple of Development League matches and also featured in two friendlies during Celtic’s January trip to Gran Canaria but last tasted competitive action on December 6 when he played for the last 25 minutes of Celtic’s 1-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park.
FULL BULGARIAN SQUAD:
Nikolay Mihaylov (Mersin), Vladislav Stoyanov (Ludogorets), Bozhidar Mitrev (Lokomotiv Sofia);Â Defenders: Ventzislav Vasilev (CSKA Sofia), Iliya Milanov (Litex Lovech), Aleksandar Aleksandrov (Ludogorets), Georgi Terziev (Ludogorets), Yordan Minev (Ludogorets), Nikolay Bodurov (Fulham), Petar Zanev (Amkar Perm), Ivan Bandalovski ( Partizan);Midfielders: Stanislav Manolev (Kuban Krasnodar), Ivajlo Chochev (Palermo), Simeon Slavchev (Bolton), Georgi Milanov (CSKA Moscow), Svetoslav Dyakov (Ludogorets), Vladimir Gadzhev (Levski Sofia), Mihail Aleksandrov (Ludogorets), Kristiyan Malinov ( Litex Lovech);Â strikers: Aleksandar Tonev (Celtic), Ivelin Popov (Kuban Krasnodar), Iliyan Mitsanski (Karlsruhe), Valeri Bojinov (Ternana).
Bulgaria go into the match with just four points from four games thanks to a 2-1 win away to Azerbaijan in the opening match and a draw at home to Malta.
After four matches Croatia, Italy and Norway have broken clear at the top of Group H with the Bulgarians trailing third placed Norway by five points.
While Tonev is hoping to be involved against Italy his club team-mate Stefan Johansen will be a key player in the Norway side that travels to Croatia.