Liel Abada and Reo Hatate are in contention to make the weekend match squad for Celtic’s massive derby at home to Rangers.
Brendan Rodgers delivered the news in his post-match press conference at Dens Park after the Bhoys comfortably beat Dundee 3-0 in the Scottish Premiership.
Abada has been missing with a thigh injury since September, while Hatate has been nursing a hamstring issue.
Both players have gone through rehabilitation periods at Lennoxtown and could now make a return earlier than expected this Saturday.
Brendan Rodgers on Celtic injuries ahead of Rangers clash
The Celtic boss said [The Scotsman]: “They could be around it. It’s [another] thing being ready to start, of course.
“Liel looked really good on the field when he trained with the group last night. We kept him at home to do another session to build him up. We’ve missed his running, his goals. He’ll be brilliant for us for the second part of the season.
“Reo is at a good level but not a level to start. We’ll see how he goes over these next few days. He’s training hard, working well and it will be like having two new players when we get those two back.”
At his best, Hatate adds urgency and guile into midfield that Celtic don’t possess in other players, while Abada is so direct and such a goal threat in the opposition box.
The Israeli winger scored 28 goals in his first two seasons at the Bhoys and has proven he knows his way to goal in these big derby matches.
Hatate has also punished the Ibrox side before and appears to relish a high-stakes occasion.
Even if they are unlikely to start after such a long layoff, having the pair available to come off the bench in the second half could be crucial.
It’s also brilliant to hear they’ll get a period of extensive training during the winter break before looking to make big contributions in the second half of the season.
In other news, Celtic squad trim begins as Bhoys accept transfer offer.
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