Celtic’s Training Update: O’Neill Resting, Maloney Steps Up
Martin O’Neill stayed away from Celtic’s final training session before Sunday’s Premiership trip to Kilmarnock as he continues his recovery from a brief spell in hospital this week.
Celtic confirmed on Wednesday that the 74-year-old had undergone what was described as a “small procedure”, with the expectation he would be discharged within 48 hours. He is now back out of hospital but has not returned to Lennoxtown, choosing instead to rest while his staff handle the build-up to Rugby Park.
Maloney steps up as O’Neill rests
With O’Neill absent, Shaun Maloney took charge of first-team preparations, flanked by coaches Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus. The training ground belonged to them on Friday: Maloney directing drills, Fotheringham and McManus driving the tempo as Celtic tuned up for a potentially awkward away fixture.
Maloney will also front up to the cameras. He is set to handle all pre-match media duties, including this afternoon’s press conference, in a further sign that Celtic are planning as if O’Neill may not be in the technical area on Sunday.
That remains the major unknown. The club has not put a timescale on his return to the dugout, and his availability for the Kilmarnock match is still to be decided. For now, the picture is one of cautious optimism: a manager recovering, a staff stepping in, a squad preparing as normal.
Jota edges closer after year of frustration
There was a brighter note on the training pitch itself. Jota, out for more than a year with a serious knee injury, took another important step towards his comeback.
The Portuguese winger joined in with the first-team group on Friday, moving into the final phase of his rehabilitation after the cruciate ligament tear he suffered at Tannadice in April 2025. That injury wrecked his season and his recovery has been anything but straightforward, with setbacks ruling him out of any late return in the closing weeks of last campaign.
This session felt different. Back among his teammates, involved rather than isolated, Jota’s presence offered a clear lift. Celtic will still need to manage him carefully, but the long road back now has a visible end point.
As O’Neill recuperates and Maloney steers the preparations, Celtic head to Rugby Park with one eye on the touchline and another on the winger edging ever closer to pulling on the shirt again.
