Brendan Rodgers has outlined his plans for the international break but with the bulk of his squad heading off on international duty, it won’t be the intense training block some might have expected.
The Celtic boss admitted the time on the pitch will be limited, with only a fraction of his first-team group available at Lennoxtown.
“It is, but there won’t be so much because a lot of the players will be away,” Rodgers said when asked if he was looking forward to time on the training ground on Celtic TV. “It’s not like you have the whole squad and you have them for two weeks before Dundee.
“A lot of them will go away. Some of them will recover a little bit. But we’ll be ready for Dundee and on the back of a really good feeling from today.
“We’ll look forward to a wee bit of a rest, but get to work and then we’ll be ready in a couple of weeks.”
The week break comes off the back of a dramatic late win over Motherwell and offers a reset for those left behind. While there won’t be much tactical work done as a group, it will be a chance for some much-needed rest and recovery both physically and mentally for a squad that’s been pushed hard during a packed early-season schedule.
One positive for Rodgers is the return of Alistair Johnston, who is expected to rejoin full training before the trip to Dundee. The Canadian has been sidelined with a hamstring issue but is nearing full fitness and should be in contention when domestic action resumes.
With several big fixtures looming, including a top-of-the-table clash at Tynecastle, Celtic will hope the break allows key players to reset and that those away on international duty return without fresh issues.
