20 matches in 76 days: Celtic’s wild pre-World Cup schedule in full

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Celtic’s start to the season has been a relatively relaxed affair over the last month.

Without the chaos and anxiety of European qualifiers, Ange Postecoglou and the Bhoys have had the chance to do extra training work. There have been no mid-week matches, with the luxury of plenty of rest for players.

That’s all about to change from tomorrow onwards with the trip to Tannadice, and here’s the schedule over the next two and a half months in full.

If you’re counting, that’s a guaranteed 19 and possible 20 matches in a 76-day period between now and the break for Qatar 2022, ramping up the Celtic action to an incredibly intense level.

This is why the manager is adding considerable depth to the squad. This is why you don’t have to worry about those not starting over the last month getting a game. Every member of Postecoglou’s group is about to get minutes.

There are massive challenges throughout.

Look at the first week of September, just days away, for a prime example. Rangers at home followed by UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid – an opportunity you could only dream about.

Notably, there’s a rather crazy end to October, too, with a trip to Tynecastle and the Tony Macaroni sandwiching a crucial home match against Shakhtar Donetsk.

It’s a pretty wild period and almost guaranteed to be full of ups and downs. Not all of this will go our own way, that’s for certain.

But it’s also incredibly exciting for supporters, players and the coaching staff. There’s no reason to be scared of this or think it’s beyond Celtic to compete on multiple fronts.

If we’re at the end of this run in a strong league position, through to a League Cup semi and with European football after Christmas, whether Champions or Europa League, everyone at the club will have done a superb job. That’s what many believe is achievable.

It’s now up to the team to show they’ve put this quiet start to the season to good use and show everyone just how impressive they can be when the matches stack up. I can’t wait to find out wherever we end up heading into the mid-season break.

In other news, Ange Postecoglou explains Sead Haksabanovic signing; reveals attacker’s Celtic desire in difficult deal.