Callum McGregor is ‘winning his battle’ to be fit for Celtic’s game against Dundee United, according to a report.
McGregor hasn’t been seen in action since his sudden absence for Celtic’s Glasgow Derby at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup.
Martin O’Neill’s men battled to victory in the absence of their captain that day, doing the same against Motherwell last weekend.
But the Scottish Sun now report that the 32-year-old has ‘recovered well’ from the calf strain that has been forcing him out of action.
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Callum McGregor close to Celtic return for Dundee United
Luke McCowan impersonated McGregor’s role at the base of Celtic’s midfield for the cup tie at Ibrox.
Against Motherwell last week, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played the role, returning to a position he frequently occupied at Besiktas.
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But few players have played as many minutes over the last eight seasons as McGregor, who is the definition of a mainstay in the Celtic team.
He hadn’t missed a single game until the tie at Ibrox, having started every game this season bar one (when he was subbed on against Livingston) until that point.
The Hoops skipper has become famous for his physical robustness, often playing every minute while available, and rarely sustaining injury.
In the 2018-19 season, a 25-year-old McGregor played 5,849 minutes, more than any other player in the world.
Since being named captain after Ange Postecoglou’s arrival in 2021, he has made the ‘number six’ position his own in the absence of Scott Brown.
His decision to retire from international football in 2024 was an indicator that his body is starting to show more limitations, however.
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Greg Taylor on Celtic’s Callum McGregor
Speaking on Premier Sports earlier this month, ex-Hoops man Greg Taylor gave an insight into McGregor’s fitness record, saying: “It’s always hard to get the balance right.
“As a player there’s nothing better than being in a rhythm of play, recover, play, recover. But sometimes you can tip over into injury.
“Callum is too important a player for Celtic to lose. Maybe there have been a couple of games where he could have had a breather, but he’s difficult to leave out because he wants to play every game.
“He’s played almost every game for years and he’s vital to the team. Hopefully it’s not long. One thing with Callum is that he has a really high pain threshold.
“If it’s meant to be six weeks it might turn into two. Hopefully he’ll be back sooner rather than later.”
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