Celtic assistant Shaun Maloney has provided a positive update on Martin O'Neill's current state after the veteran Hoops boss was admitted to hospital during the week.
O'Neill reported to hospital and underwent what was described as a 'small procedure', and while his stay was short, the 74-year-old remains absent from work duties to continue his recovery.
In the meantime, Maloney has been leading things at Lennoxtown, and he took the pre-match press conference on Friday.
Maloney provides update on O'Neill's condition
Asked about how the Celtic boss is doing currently, Maloney said: "I went to see him last night. It was really positive. He got out of the hospital yesterday.
"He was in good form last night. Loads better than he was Monday, Tuesday. Hopefully that sort of positive feeling continues, but he was in good form."
Maloney led training on Friday, and it is possible that he will lead Sunday's game against Kilmarnock if O'Neill cannot return for the trip to Ayrshire.
"No timeline. So even for the game at the weekend, it's day-to-day," Maloney added.
"We saw him last night with regard to the preparation for the game. He wasn't in today. I'll speak to him again this afternoon, and he'll make a call for the game tomorrow."
He continued: "It's strange. We'll definitely miss him if he's not there, but you also have to respect what's happened in the last few days.
"The impact he's had since October has been nothing short of incredible. So we will miss him. We'll make him do the call."
Celtic will, of course, allow O'Neill to prioritise his well-being over the coming days, and however long it takes. The 74-year-old did express some concerns over taking the job on full-time, even for just the one year deal he is on, due to his age and the demands of it.
There is no indication of what the illness is or was, and indeed whether it has anything to do with the demands of the job, and we certainly won't speculate. But Celtic knew what they were signing up for, and it is why it was so important that they re-hired O'Neill's trusted backroom staff team.
The idea was always that if O'Neill has to step aware for one reasons or another, Maloney and Mark Fotrheringham can take the lead and ensure what O'Neill is delivered, and close to the letter.
It's unlikely the club has any concerns over Maloney filling in this weekend if that is to be the case, and O'Neill will surely be on the phone if it is.
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