Celtic have received a major boost as two key players have returned to training at Lennoxtown.
In preparation for the upcoming game against Dundee on April 5, the club posted training photos to social media. The players who are back on the grass are Colby Donovan and Tomas Cvancara. Arne Engels' recovery is also coming along well.
Cvancara missed out on the Dundee United game through illness. Martin O'Neill revealed to the media before the game that he had been ill throughout that week, training the day before but still not feeling great.
Donovan was also pictured after being forced to pull out of Scotland under-21 matches against the Czech Republic and Portugal. He picked up a knock during the Tannadice loss but should be ready for action after the break.
Engels has been in training for a short while now after being injured at the start of February. He was back in training by the middle of March, and now, he could be fit enough to be included in the matchday squad.
Big boost going into an important game
With a loss last time out, Celtic return to the city, but travel to Dens Park for this match. They will take on Dundee, with manager Steven Pressley already starting to play mind games with the Hoops.
In a recent interview, he described the Celts as a 'wounded animal'. He said: "I know it will always take from us, a perfect performance to win these types of games. Anything short of that, we’ll not win. You also always need a degree of luck against the Old Firm. But we’ve certainly shown we’re capable of that.
"It will take an enormous performance against a very much wounded animal after losing to Dundee Utd. They’ll be looking to bounce back, and if they still have aspirations to win the league, then they’ll know they have to beat ourselves.
"It makes it a really interesting game, but we’ve got our own pride and our own situation that we need to take care of. [Celtic are vulnerable], but that’s when they’re at their most dangerous."
With multiple players coming back, it's going to be an exciting match. There was some concern that Donovan, Alistair Johnston, and Julian Araujo would all be unable to play, leaving Anthony Ralston as the only option. Thankfully, we aren't just left with one right-back though, and Donovan will likely play.
Either way, Celtic will need to be at their best. Pressley's comments may be harsh, but they aren't wrong. The Hoops are wounded, and now is the time for them to bounce back.