Ange’s update- Celtic boss speaks out as two key players return to action
Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v Aberdeen - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - July 31, 2022 Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou arrives at the stadium before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Ange Postecoglou was very low key as he reflected on Celtic’s 4-3 defeat from Stade Rennais in Portugal today.
Nothing had been heard from the Celtic camp ahead of today’s match with the French side also using the Algarve for some warm weather training before the domestic action resumes.
Pittodrie next Saturday will be a very different proposition for the Celtic boss but there will be one very significant addition to the squad that built up a healthy nine point lead before the World Cup break.
Callum McGregor was back in action today, making his first appearance since picking up a knee injury away to RB Leipzig at the start of October. After a stop-start campaign to date Carl Starfelt also featured as he looks to resume his partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers.
With the skipper available again Postecoglou’s options open up in the centre of the park after Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate started 13 successive matches before the break.
There were some good bits, some not-so-good bits but overall it’s been a good week of training for us.
The boys have worked hard and probably felt the effects of it in today’s game at times, but overall it was a positive week.
We got some minutes into the players, particularly Callum McGregor and Carl Starfelt who haven’t played a lot recently and they have all come through it really well.
We gave the boys a week off which we thought was important after the schedule we had and we obviously went to Australia and it was a great week but it took a toll on them in terms of the travel.
So to give them a week away to freshen up was good and it was really important we got them back focused in here.
We’ve been able to train here with good facilities and work hard for seven days and we have a normal lead into the Aberdeen game.
CELTIC: Hart (Siegrist 60’). Ralston (Ideguchi 78’), Starfelt (Kobayashi 78’), Jenz (Lawal 45’), Taylor (Bernabei 60’), McGregor (Vata 78’), Hatate (Abildgaard 69’), O’Riley (Turnbull 60’), Abada (Haksabanovic 45’), Jota (Forrest 60’), Kyogo (Giakoumakis 60’)