Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on Anthony Ralston and Josip Juranovic after they were missing from Saturday’s match squad against Rapid Vienna.
The Bhoys boss named almost the entire Austrian group on the bench behind the starters in the 3-3 draw, but the two right-backs were not listed, leading to concerns about injuries and issues heading deeper into pre-season.
However, Postecoglou is not worried about either player.
He told The Glasgow Times: “Tony got a knock on Friday and just wasn’t 100 per cent for the match so we erred on the side of caution. He should be fine for Wednesday.
“Josip is fine, he trained fully on Saturday morning, but he missed the first part of the week so we are trying to get all the guys into a programme where they do a bit of work before we expose them to game time.”
The good news is that Liel Abada has shaken off a knock picked up in training last Wednesday after his appearance off the bench last night.
Elsewhere, Carl Starfelt continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury sustained on Sweden duty. Postecoglou is expecting him to be available for the start of the season.
Other than that, the squad is in good shape heading to Czechia, where Banik Ostrava await with a feisty atmosphere midweek.
That should be another good test for the Bhoys, who have been ramping up their fitness with double sessions at the training camp.
With Blackburn Rovers also visiting Celtic Park next week, there are plenty of match minutes to get players up to where we need them to be.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou manages expectations on Celtic’s latest transfer bid.
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