2 big questions that could be answered at Celtic today

By John McGinley

April 1, 2022

The Friday before a derby between Celtic and Rangers is often newsworthy for a variety of reasons. Not only do media outlets ramp up their coverage, but we also hear from managers and players of both teams ahead of the big match.

Ange Postecoglou’s press conference will be a must-watch affair, not only to hear his usual brilliant answers but also to get an update on a number of mysteries heading into the fixture.

It’s been a long time since he’s faced the media, so this is what we’re hoping should be cleared up by the end of the day…

Has Kyogo Furuhashi returned to Celtic training?

There have been no cameras at Lennoxtown since before the international break, so it’s not yet known if Kyogo has returned to full team training.

We know he was doing work on the grass as part of his rehabilitation, but he had not joined in with the group. If he has any chance of featuring against Rangers, he’ll have had to go through training sessions this week, which hopefully Ange can answer.

I’m not really expecting the Japanese talent to start either way on Sunday. He’s a more viable candidate to have on the bench after three months out, but it’d be a huge boost just to have his presence in the squad.

Is Tom Rogic fit enough to feature?

Despite rumours on social media of Tom Rogic being in Celtic training – that’s yet to be confirmed. The photo posted by Christopher Jullien on Instagram this week with Rogic in the background is from March 1st, so doesn’t tell us anything either way on the Australian.

He had to drop out of Australia duty for crucial World Cup qualifiers so was clearly hurting after the red card tackle on his ankle against Ross County.

Again, Rogic being available would be a significant boost to the options of the manager this weekend. He loves the game against Rangers and has scored a beauty of a goal at Ibrox before. Rogic is a man to produce magic on the big occasion.

This Celtic team isn’t about individuals

In fairness, negative responses to these questions won’t mean disaster for the Bhoys ahead of the derby. This squad have shown they can overcome injury and absences to still get the job done on a consistent basis.

Even without Kyogo or Rogic, Postecoglou will have a very strong group to choose from that is capable of picking up a positive result at Ibrox.

With Giorgos Giakoumakis in excellent form and a number of midfield choices available, I’m looking forward to the exciting starting eleven on Sunday regardless of the news today.

In other news, Sydney Super Cup organisers accuse rivals in statement as Celtic await grand plans.