Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has provided an injury update ahead of Wednesday night's Premiership clash with Dundee United. The Bhoys are dealing with a relentless schedule currently due to regular Europa League games and now a midweek Premiership clash.
It continues next week, too, with two more fixtures to play before the international break. That means the Bhoys are going to have to be careful, especially with players coming back from injury.
That point was proven on Sunday when Alistair Johnston came back after a couple of months out, only to limp off 21 minutes later, and he has since been ruled out for another few weeks in a fresh blow.
Celtic will now take a cautious approach, and that starts with Joel Van den Berg, who is hoping to return from an ankle issue in the coming weeks.
"That's his first day today, training with us," Celtic boss O'Neill said ahead of the Dundee United clash. "So, it'll be nice to see what he can do. For the lads that we've brought in, obviously Landon is another player that we feel has definitely got potential. I can't wait to see what he's capable of doing over the course of the next few months.
"But yeah, the injury has stopped him from doing that. This is his first day back. But yeah, most things are looking up. But it'll be nice to see how he can develop."
As for Yang Hyun-jun, who has been managed carefully after he picked up a hamstring issue at the Asian Games, O'Neill added: "Yang is doing really well. I think it's next week that he will start training with us."
On the more cautious approach Celtic will be taking with returnees, O'Neill added: "Yeah, of course. Listen, Alistair will be aware of this. You don't play the football matches just for the sake of someone coming back. It's the same with Carter-Vickers coming back here with an injury. We're always concerned about hamstrings.
"And the idea was that we could maybe give Alistair maybe 30 minutes of the game. Alistair is well aware of this.
"And in all honesty, if Colby had not been injured at the time, chances are we wouldn't have put Alistair on. And he would have accepted that, even though in his mind he's thinking that he'd get the last 30 minutes to get himself into it. But the circumstance of the game dictated everything.
"And we were, swirling wind, Hibs pressing forward at the time. So Colby being injured allowed us that opportunity. But had he not been, I'm not so sure whether I would have put Alistair on at the time.
"And similarly, obviously with the change then, and Dane going to right back, and in comes Carter-Vickers. It was needs must for us at that time. So in terms of being careful with Alistair, yeah, absolutely.
"These are injuries that, up until last season, you've never picked up. I've done it myself as a player. You get a hamstring injury, you know, later in your career. My first hamstring was when I was 28 or something. You're saying, what is this? So, it is a concern."
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