Just days after it was rumoured that Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand had taken part in a secret behind-closed-doors game, Martin O'Neill has confirmed that both players are in contention for the split.
It feels like ages since we last saw either of them, and to be honest, it has been. A lot of time has passed, but now, they're preparing to take to the pitch for competitive fixtures.
Speaking before Saturday's game, O'Neill said: "Callum and Alistair have been a long, long time out. Callum is feeling much, much better with the week that he’s put in. Some days he hasn’t done anything, but he’s come through, and he’s been fine.
"Alistair Johnston is coming back. I’m hoping that he will be in the squad [for Saturday].
"So that’s good news for us. Yeah, we’ve got… We’re getting stronger in that sense. Of course, we’ve missed the big players throughout the course of the year.
"But nothing can be done about that. But we’re looking forward to it. Let’s give it a go."
With Julian Araujo picking up an injury last month, Johnston's return couldn't come at a better time. Anthony Ralston has been filling in at right-back whilst Colby Donovan has been struggling with fitness, and the Canadian is ready to support them.
He was supposed to be back sooner, but sadly, he suffered a setback while on international duty. Thankfully, it didn't rule him out for the season, and he's going to be a massive help in the split.
One player who is going to be even more important is Osmand. With Celtic failing to have a good striking option, the youngster has the perfect opportunity to step up. Before he got injured, he was starting to impress and could have won a lot of starts over the course of the season. The injury came at a bad time, but now, his recovery couldn't be more perfect.
Not long to go until the end of the season
With only a few games to go until the end of the season, Celtic are going to need to be at their best. With these two big returns on the cards, our job is made much easier.
We can use these first matches to get their fitness back in order, and hopefully, they'll be able to make an impact in games against Rangers and Hearts. Those two games could decide our season, so if Osmand can bag a goal before that, there is no reason why he couldn't start, should fitness allow it.
We'll have to wait and see, but it's an exciting time. Welcome back to both players - it's been a long time coming.
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