Celtic faces one Hell of a December schedule. But we are ready for it.

On Saturday, we finally return to domestic football, and I know every single one of us has spent the last few weeks missing it like mad.

It always seems to happen when we’re playing well, doesn’t it? When we’re in form, winning games, and desperate to watch our team. Three straight months of these international interruptions—I’d welcome a stretch without them. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we’ve got in front of us now: a straight run into the New Year. And it’s going to be a tough one.

We’re now on the flip side of the fixture list. In the first part of the season, we played all the bigger games at home. This time, we’ve got to play them all away. But we’ve done exactly what a team in our position needs to do in the homestretch. We’ve put points on the board, banked a solid lead, and set ourselves up nicely. The way we’re playing, it doesn’t feel like the away games will test us any harder than the home games did.

Still, December could well be the defining month of the season. Tough away fixtures, European matches, and a cup final—it’s all happening at once. This is where the real test lies. That’s not to say Saturday night’s game at Tynecastle won’t challenge us—it certainly will—but we know where the biggest battles are on the calendar.

This is a new Hearts team under a new boss, and we don’t know what they’ll be like. They have to be better than Naismith’s side, surely. But one thing about Naismith’s teams is that they always gave everything against us. You could count on that. It wasn’t always the case when they faced the club across the city, was it?

This new manager will almost certainly present a different challenge, and we’ll need to be on our toes. But there’s no reason to believe we can’t win there—and win well. This is when Celtic come to life, when the stakes are high and the pressure is on. This is when players like McGregor, Johnston, and Carter-Vickers step up and show why they’re the best.

The most important factor going into December is our squad depth. It’s our greatest weapon right now. For the first time in years, we’ve got a squad where, if one player is out, there’s an adequate replacement waiting. That’s going to be critical in the weeks ahead.

From now until January, we don’t have a single free midweek. It’s exhilarating, but it’s a huge challenge. You need to be able to rotate players, rest them, and keep them fit. Fortunately, we’re in a position to do that. We’ve got a deep bench, and behind the first eleven and their replacements, we have promising academy players who are ready to step up if needed.

There’s talk, for example, that young striker Daniel Cummings might get the chance to train with the first team soon. That’s exciting news. He’s been making waves with the B team, scoring plenty of goals, and it would be great to see him get some minutes.

Maybe not during this hectic period, but if we find ourselves comfortably ahead in a match, why not? It’s the perfect time to give these young players a chance to show what they can do.

It’s a packed schedule, with huge games at Pittodrie, Ibrox, and Tynecastle, alongside European fixtures and the cup final. It’s relentless, but this is what football’s all about: big matches, tough challenges, and the chance to show what we’re made of.

Aberdeen, in particular, will be a key test.

They’re right on our heels in the league, separated only by goal difference. It’s been amusing to watch them pull clear of the club across the city, but eventually, we’ll need to pull away from them too. Beating them at Pittodrie would send a clear message about who’s in charge. The cup semi-final has put them on notice. Now we need to make it plain.

So yes, thankfully, the domestic calendar restarts this weekend.

I’ve missed it. We’ve all missed it. And the perfect way to begin this critical run would be with three points at Tynecastle. Of course, we could do without the abysmal kick-off time—a reminder of the contempt TV companies have for ordinary supporters. It’s also a reminder of why Celtic refused to let broadcasters meddle with our fixtures any more than necessary.

The next few weeks will be intense, with huge games, big stakes, and the chance to cement our position at the top of the table. If we can come through this period still holding a commanding lead—or better yet, extending it over the rest—then the so-called challenges from elsewhere will be done and dusted.

Saturday night can’t come soon enough. Let’s get back to what we do best, starting with three points in Gorgie.