Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic squad got back to work on the training ground last week as they prepare for their competitive return on Saturday.
The Bhoys will end a month-long wait for a Scottish Premiership fixture when they take on Jim Goodwin’s Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
In order to prepare for the second half of the season, the Celtic manager took his squad to a mid-season training camp in Portugal.
Although there wasn’t much footage of the Hoops European trip, Postecoglou insisted it was a good week for his squad after some time off.
Celtic were also involved in friendly action, suffering a 4-3 defeat to French Ligue 1 side Rennes. But overall, it seemed to be exactly what the squad was needing ahead of the competitive restart.
There will certainly be aspects of the trip to Portugal that will leave Postecoglou happier than others, and we thought we would assess three valuable positives that the Bhoys can take away from the training camp.
Kobayashi grace period
After signing a five-year deal with the club last month, the trip to Portugal provided Yuki Kobayashi with some time to settle into life at Celtic.
Not only was it the ideal opportunity for the defender to get to know his teammates, but he would have also been hard at work adjusting to Postecoglou’s system.
Although the former Vissel Kobe man won’t be able to turn out for the Hoops until the 1st of January, this period in December gives him a grace period and the perfect opportunity to get prepared for involvement in 2023.
The Celtic boss briefly spoke about Kobayashi’s introduction and how important the next few weeks will be for him.
So, I am sure Ange Postecoglou was delighted to get him into the thick of things as soon as possible, getting to work alongside his teammates in Europe.
Match sharpness boost for those returning from injury
It may have ended in defeat for the Hoops against Rennes, but we arguably came away with a victory, seeing Callum McGregor back in action.
The Celtic skipper played 78 minutes of the game, which was his first involvement since sustaining a serious knee injury against RB Leipzig in October.
McGregor is targeting his return at the earliest point possible in this weekend’s game against Aberdeen. So, it was an extremely important week for the midfielder.
Not only McGregor but also for players such as Carl Starfelt, who has only recently returned from his own long-term injury problem.
So, both members of Ange Postecoglou’s squad were able to get down to work and pick up some valuable minutes in the friendly.
Continued involvement of academy hopefuls
The continued involvement of both Rocco Vata and Bosun Lawal was also a huge positive to take away from the Bhoys’ visit to Portugal.
The young duo picked up more minutes in the friendly against Rennes, adding to their participation in Sydney and pre-season.
You would hope that this means a first-team debut could be on the horizon for the teenagers who have been standouts for the club’s B side.
It will undoubtedly have been a fantastic opportunity for the duo continuing to work alongside quality first-team players in Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
Here’s hoping that they can go on to take the next step soon. But it is certainly positive to see their presence amongst the squad.
Now for Postecoglou and his players, it is about building on the mid-season training camp and utilising the hard work to their advantage as we aim for more trophy success.
In other news, BT Sport offer Celtic support opportunity to relive Champions League classics.
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