O'Neill counts on World Cup squad to be fit for Celtic's season start

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expects the full contingent of his World Cup players to be in training next week before the new Scottish Premiership season kicks off, after seeing Sebastian Tounekti (right) make his first pre‑season appearance against AC Milan in a 2‑2 friendly on Saturday, as captured by Getty Images.

South Korea winger Yang Hyun‑jun, Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren, Canada right‑back Alistair Johnston and United States defender Auston Trusty have not featured in any of Celtic's pre‑season games.

"Trusty comes back on Monday," O'Neill said, noting family matters and a short extra rest. "Nygren's here. He didn't play, he's got a bit of an Achilles problem. I think it's OK, not massive." He added, "Kieran played for 60 minutes. I was hoping Alistair might have played maybe 20 minutes, but I have to be guided by our sports science guys." Regarding Yang, O'Neill said, "Yang's back. He's done some training. A little hiccup a couple of days ago, but he'll be fine."

O'Neill stressed he is less concerned about those boys because they have played matches in the World Cup, saying, "You take a little break and the last thing you want to do is rush them back. By Monday, I think everybody will be back."

While Celtic gear up to defend their title, the season opens at home to Dundee on 3 August.

Thomas Hatton and Sean McArdle caught the eye as substitutes in wide positions against Milan. O'Neill praised Hatton, saying, "I just congratulated Tam for his spell on the field. He's prepared to take people on, which is great. It's like a dying art, so he'll get all the encouragement in the world. He's a young lad making his way in the game."

Overall, O'Neill was impressed by the attitude shown throughout pre‑season, noting the battle for places and the encouraging performances of the younger players as the squad prepares for the upcoming campaign.