Celtic are now just over a week away from returning to action as this extended international break edges towards its final stages. The Bhoys went into the break in the worst possible way, losing three straight games to place a question mark over the head of Martin O'Neill.
O'Neill was never going to be sacked, but he did place doubts over whether he would continue at the club if he felt he could not fix the issues. The time for that now seems to have passed, and O'Neill is expected to stay on, at least for now.
But the bad news is that a tough run of fixtures awaits Celtic on the other side of the break, both in the Premiership and the Europa League. Here we take a look at what a successful October would actually look like while also being realistic about the fixtures ahead.
Motherwell (A) - Win
Celtic need to tick this one off as a win. Given the form they went into the break with, they can't afford to add to that panic with a defeat. This is a win at all costs, however ugly or pretty it is.
Benfica (A) - Loss
Celtic winning this game would be a major surprise. Benfica are a much better team with much bigger resources. Anything here is a bonus.
Hearts (H) - Draw
Celtic need a good run of form in the league, but they are struggling against the better teams. It might be a stretch to ask them to win every single league game, so they can afford to take a point here, providing they take care of business elsewhere.
Celta Vigo (H) - Win
If Celtic are going to lose both of their first two Europa League games, they are going have to pick up a win here. If they lose all three, or even lose two and draw one, their Europa League campaign will be in pieces before it has really begun. This will be a tough game, but the Bhoys need to pick up points at home in this competition.
Hibernian (A) - Win
Celtic need to be winning this game, with Hibs having started slowly and looking safely below the standard of the Hoops.
Dundee United (H) - Win
Celtic beat Dundee United 4-0 away from home in the cup, and they will be expected to win comfortably at home here. That would send them into November in solid form.
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