Celtic should bring their firepower to Europe at the weekend when Celta Vigo visit Parkhead.
Martin O’Neill’s side head into their Europa League clash with renewed confidence after beating Hearts 7-1, but they desperately need a continental campaign.
Defeats against Ferencvaros and Benfica left the Hoops without a point from their opening two games of the league stage.
After losing 3-1 at home to the Hungarian side, a 4-1 defeat in Lisbon left Celtic little room for another disappointing result.
Sunday’s performance served as a reminder of their attacking threat, although replicating sharpness against La Liga opposition is the next big challenge.
Celtic injury list | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Player | injury | Latest update | Potential return |
Cameron Carter-Vickers | Hamstring strain | Returned to training but ruled out against Celta Vigo. | Depending on his progress in training, he could return to the squad against Hibs on October 25. |
Alistair Johnston | Hamstring injury | He is training again after his absence since August but is unavailable tonight. | Also targeted against Hibernian on October 25, subject to fitness. |
Yang Hyun-jun | Hamstring injury | He has resumed work on the pitch but remains unavailable for the match against Celta Vigo. | No date confirmed. O’Neill suggested late October or early November, a week or two after the Hearts game. |
Joel van den Berg | Ankle injury | He continues to recover from a training injury. His protective boot is removed, but he remains elusive. | There is no confirmed return date. |
Shaun Maloney confirmed ahead of the game that Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston, although back in training, will miss out, while Auston Trusty is unavailable due to a personal issue.
Oliver Sorensen is available again, providing a welcome midfield option to build Celtic’s domestic response.
O’Neill knows the opposition well, having edged past Celtic away goals in the 2003 UEFA Cup final, but he needs his team to show they can remain organized as well as attacking confidence on full display against Hearts.
The challenge is to give the supporters another night to remember against Celta, the points they urgently need to get their qualification hopes moving.
Away from Thursday’s game, speculation continues over Celtic’s long-term managerial plans amid repeated links with Everton boss David Moyes.
Mick Brown believes that David Moyes wanted to return to his former club if the contract situation with Everton is not resolved.
Speaking to Football Insider, the former West Ham scout, who worked alongside Moyes, hinted at the lure of managing Celtic and returning closer to his family in Scotland.
“There is still a lot to talk about when David Moyes leaves Everton,” said Brown.
“But if they can’t agree a new deal, he will have to look at his options and I think the Celtic job could be very attractive to him.
“He would jump at the chance to go back to Scotland with the club he represents as a player, so it would make a lot of sense for all parties.
“From Celtic’s point of view, appointing a manager like Moyes would be a huge coup and I doubt he would leave Everton.
“But he’s obviously married in Scotland, so there’s always the possibility that he’ll be tempted back there, and like I said, the Celtic thing will certainly appeal to him.”
Celtic are said to be considering Moyes as a possible successor to O’Neill, although his next move will depend on developments at Everton.
Moyes’ association with Celtic dates back to the beginning of his senior playing career and gives a distinctly personal angle to any approach.
His managerial experience would be another attraction.
The Scottish team “West Ham” won the European Conference League in 2023, beating “Fiorentina” in the final and showing that it can fulfill the demands of European football.
That record would certainly be relevant for Celtic, whose ambitions extend beyond Premier League success.
For now, O’Neill has a pressing job of his own.
Three points against Celta would ease their immediate European pressure and offer a stronger platform for O’Neill to lead a memorable campaign.