After various distractions Celtic get back to business on Saturday, weather permitting, when they face Morton in the Scottish Cup.
A place in the semi-final is at stake against the Championship club who have pushed themselves into contention for a play-off place for the second season running.
Celtic have had Jim Duffy’s side well watched but after winning 2-0 at Aberdeen last week everyone is looking for Brendan Rodgers’ side to build on that result and reinforce their domestic dominance.
It was hardly a vintage performance at Pittodrie but after stumbling against Kilmarnock and St Johnstone it was all about the result and picking up full points.
As a nice bonus the antics of Scott Brown brought the fans and players together with the skipper playing up to the iron man image that drives Aberdeen to despair.
The postponement of the Dundee match was annoying but it does give Kris Ajer and others longer to recover and the squad time to recover their bearings after trips to St Peterburg and Aberdeen.
The business end of the season is underway, players are returning from injury with the onus on the team to go out on Saturday, book a semi-final place and send out a message to the excited noise being generated elsewhere.
SCOTT BAIN
Badly needs a game, he hasn’t played competitively since the end of October when he was at Dundee.
These days a goalkeeper can easily be sent off, playing Bain against Morton is less of a risk that sending him on for his debut at Ibrox.
Bain is actually a more than decent keeper, falling out with Neil McCann is hardly a crime with the former Scotland squad man a potential back up keeper for next season.
ANTHONY RALSTON
He has waited a while for a match and although Mikael Lustig is available Ralston needs a match to see if he is upto speed for next Sunday at Ibrox.
His injury problems run back to September, not long after he faced up to Neymar but so far he has only had one 90 minutes in the SFA Youth Cup since being restored to fitness.
Earlier in the season he looked the ideal deputy for Lustig, with the Swede heading for the World Cup Finals in the summer right-back is a position that Celtic need to fill.
KRIS AJER
May have missed out if the game with Dundee had gone ahead but the extra few days should give his head wound time to heal.
It’s a little scary to have a first season teenager as the main defender but in that injury prone area of the park he has taken his chance.
Next Sunday will be a big test of his mentality, so far he has passed every game in style but every game is invaluable at this stage in his development.
JOZO SIMUNOVIC
Has been struggling badly through the winter, none more so than last week at Aberdeen where he looked hesitant in almost everything he tried.
Marvin Compper and Dedryck Boyata may be getting closer to fitness but central defence is an area of the team where continuity is all important.
The Scottish Cup tie with Partick Thistle was another difficult afternoon but with a week of coaching and training he should be able to turn in a steady performance.
CALVIN MILLER
Waited a long time to get his chance against St Johnstone and will have learned a lot from that experience.
Getting another first team 90 minutes pushes him closer to the standard required, after a couple of seasons in the Development League there isn’t much more for him to learn at that level.
Attacking and crossing are the strengths of Miller’s game, facing a Championship side at home will give him the opportunity to post notice that there is life behind KT and no need to spend money on a back-up.
SCOTT BROWN
Much will be expected of that skipper after last week’s exertions at Aberdeen- but more than a few Morton players will want to bring him down a notch or two.
With three matches standing between Celtic and the Scottish Cup Brown will be hands on, leading by example and driving his team-mates forward at every opportunity.
Some players achieve cult status in a roundabout way but while Brown likes to act the showman that is underlined by resolute, effective performances that regularly deliver 8 out of 10 displays.
OLIVIER NTCHAM
Seemed to revel in the scrap at Pittodrie which provided a crash course in the demands of the Scottish game.
Rodgers has used the Frenchman sparingly in the bigger matches but looks like using Ntcham at Ibrox, possibly alongside Eboue Kouassi as well as Brown.
After six months at the club he knows what to expect and can be a big factor in the remaining weeks as the trophies come into sight.
JAMES FORREST
Match-winners are required in this sort of fixture with Forrest well capable of creating and converting chances.
Early goals set the tone against Brechin City and Partick Thistle, Morton will be aware of this but curbing it is a different matter.
Once the tie is won he can be replaced and put in cotton wool but as the St Johnstone game illustrated an early goal makes all the difference in these sort of fixtures.
CHARLY MUSONDA
Has largely been an onlooker in the matches away to Zenit and Aberdeen but can use this fixture towards staking his claim for more regular game time.
Coming into a new team in January is a risky business with the Chelsea kid using this season to get upto speed for next season’s European qualifiers.
He can expect to be marked closely, John Beaton will let the Morton players away with the sort of treatment that St Johnstone handed out, Musonda will need to lean quickly how to cope.
SCOTT SINCLAIR
The stats say yes but the performances suggest otherwise but without doubt Sinclair is a potential match-winner.
Morton won’t be slow to put in some ‘testing’ challenges, hopefully Beaton offers the same protection that Steven McLean gave Sevco players in midweek against St Johnstone.
There is a suspicion that he has been carrying an injury in recent months but some trademark finishes cutting off the left wing would be very welcome with goals needed from every area of the park.
MOUSSA DEMBELE
Is slowly looking like his old self, showed good determination and anticipation to get on the score-sheet last week at Aberdeen.
With no date set for the return of Leigh Griffiths the former Fulham man is the only real striking option available to Brendan Rodgers.
A goal or two will do his confidence the world of good, a return to last season’s form would put a real attacking edge onto the way that the team is playing- and delivering.