Good news across the boards today. Brendan scooped the manager of the month award, and announced that our injured trio – Jozo, Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong – are all going to be fit for the Bayern game. Probably.
Added to that, Sviatchenko is in full training and you see a Celtic squad that is as strong as it’s been in quite some time.
Brendan won the manager of the month award for securing three wins and a draw from the four games last month, which includes the victory at Ibrox.
Having listened to him last season, I know the home draw will still bother him; we have a perfectionist in the dugout and he doesn’t take kindly to reversals.
Awards are piling up for this guy. He swept the manager of the year ceremonies last year and I don’t think anyone can stop him from doing it again this season.
The news from Celtic Park is all good at the moment, and it’s the right moment because we’re now heading into a very important week. The Dundee game comes first, of course, but then we’re off to Germany for a crucial Champions League tie.
I use the word “crucial” although it isn’t really. Few expect us to get anything from it, although we may be getting the German champions at a good time. Nevertheless, it’s a game where there are no real expectations on us, except maybe to turn in a better performance than in previous campaigns. If we take a point from that game most of us will be well pleased.
There was concern over the fitness of these three players, with Jozo giving us a fright last week when he was injured on international duty. Whilst none of the three will be fit for Dundee at the weekend – or so we presume – but there is now a good chance that they will be able to play some part in the midweek match in Germany.
In fact, reports today suggest that as many as five players will miss the Dundee game, but that all have a chance of playing in Munich.
In the coming month we also have a league cup semi-final to navigate, an away match at Pittodrie, a game against Kilmarnock at home and then the return leg of the Bayern tie … this is not stuff for the faint hearted. It will be difficult. It will be tough.
But it will be a lot easier doing it, as looks likely, with a full squad.