Martin O’Neill was absent as Celtic completed their preparations for Sunday’s Premiership trip to Kilmarnock, with the manager continuing his recovery after spending time in hospital this week.
The Hoops confirmed on Wednesday that the 74-year-old had undergone a “small procedure”, with the expectation that he would be discharged within the following 48 hours.
O’Neill has subsequently stayed away from Lennoxtown, leaving Shaun Maloney to oversee first-team preparations alongside coaches Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus.
Sky Sports report that Maloney will also step in for the manager on media duty, including taking charge of Celtic’s pre-match press conference this afternoon.
Whether O’Neill will recover in time to return to the technical area at Rugby Park remains unclear, with his availability for the weekend fixture still to be determined.
There was, however, an encouraging sight during Friday’s session as Jota continued to make progress towards his long-awaited comeback.
The Portuguese winger linked up with the first-team group as he stepped up the final stages of his rehabilitation from the serious knee injury which has kept him out of competitive action for more than a year.
Jota suffered a cruciate ligament tear at Tannadice in April 2025 and has endured a difficult recovery, with several setbacks ultimately ending any prospect of featuring during the closing weeks of last season.
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