Ange Postecoglou is set to receive an injury boost, with Callum McGregor ready to mark his return for the first time since early October.
The Bhoys have been without the skipper since he sustained a serious knee injury in the UEFA Champions League match against RB Leipzig.
McGregor is a hugely influential figure in the Parkhead dressing room and would have been hugely missed during an important period.
Thankfully, the Hoops suffered no slip-ups on the domestic front, coming through some tough games at grounds such as Tynecastle and McDiarmid Park.
Matt O’Riley stepped in to fill McGregor’s role as the deep-lying midfielder, showing his versatility and quality in different areas of the pitch.
Despite the Danish under-21 showing his ability as the ‘6’ in Ange Postecoglou’s side, there is still no doubt that the Hoops captain is the best player at the club for that role.
And the Celtic boss will be delighted by the fact that the 29-year-old is edging closer to marking his return from long-term injury.
The academy graduate was targeting the Bhoys’ first domestic game back on the 17th of December against Aberdeen, and he appears to be well on track to meet that.
According to a report from Sun Sport, McGregor will be available and is expected to feature in a friendly match against Rennes next week.
Callum McGregor set to ramp up return as Celtic prepare for the second half of the season.
At the beginning of next week, Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic squad – minus those on World Cup duty – will travel to a warm-weather training camp in Portugal.
Preparations are expected to ramp up ahead of the start of the competitive action returning this month, and that will include a friendly outing against the French Ligue 1 side.
The trip to Portugal couldn’t really have come at a better time for McGregor, who has been working ‘tirelessly’ to get back to full fitness once again.
The friendly, which takes place one week before the Hoops trip to Pittodrie, will allow the midfielder to build up some match fitness ahead of an important period of fixtures.
Although the captain may not be ready to play the entire game or even start against Aberdeen, this time abroad will prove crucial to building up his fitness.
With massive games away from home against Hibernian and Rangers to come, this will allow him to be ready in time to at least feature.
It is certainly a huge boost for Ange Postecoglou and the rest of our squad, with one of our most influential players all set to make his return!
In other news, Report: Ange Postecoglou targets another Celtic World Cup addition.
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