Celtic Prepare for Old Firm Derby After Europa Setback

Celtic’s bruised squad will be patched up and prodded again before Sunday’s Old Firm showdown with Rangers, with Martin O’Neill waiting on late fitness calls after a draining Europa League defeat at Celtic Park.

The manager put his players through a recovery session on Friday, less than 24 hours after the loss, and admitted several key figures had picked up knocks in the process.

“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, outlining a day focused more on damage limitation than tactical overhaul.

One or two were forced off before the final whistle. They are now at the front of the medical queue.

“There’s one or two lads who came off; we’ll have a look to see how they are tomorrow,” he added, with club staff set to decide whether any issues are serious enough to affect selection.

The timing could hardly be worse.

Celtic have a rapid turnaround before they host Rangers in Sunday’s Premiership clash, the second Old Firm derby of the season and a fixture already loaded with narrative after last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to their rivals.

Those who logged heavy minutes on Thursday were restricted to warm-down work while the medical team assessed the damage. Only after that process will O’Neill know exactly what kind of XI he can put on the pitch against a Rangers side that dominated the last meeting.

There is no luxury of a long build-up, no extended reset. Just a battered squad, a couple of days of treatment and tests, and then the ferocity of an Old Firm derby waiting at Celtic Park.

By Sunday, Celtic will discover not only who is fit, but who is ready to answer for last weekend’s 3-0 loss.