Callum Osmand is making progress in his recovery, but Martin O’Neill has confirmed the young forward will not be ready for the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren. The striker has been back around the training ground, though his return to action is still some distance away.

Osmand’s injury came just as he was starting to build momentum. He had been used from the bench and was beginning to show what he could offer in forward areas. That run was cut short, and Celtic have had to manage without him since.

Celtic FC Callum McGregor, Auston Trusty, Callum Osmand
2nd November 2025; Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland; Scottish Premier Sports Cup semi final, Rangers versus Celtic; Callum McGregor of Celtic Auston Trusty of Celtic and Callum Osmand of Celtic are interviewed after the match by Premier Sports

O’Neill has seen signs of improvement in recent days. Osmand is back working with the squad, although only at an early stage. That puts him behind others in terms of match readiness, especially with games coming quickly.

Looking ahead, even next weekend’s league match against Falkirk appears too soon. The focus remains on getting him fully fit rather than pushing for a quick return during a busy period.

O’Neill said: (TCW), “And young Callum Osmand, he’s making progress as well too at the same time. So that’s really encouraging.

“Callum came in, to my recollection, a couple of days later. I’ve just seen him out there, so it would be early for him (looking towards the league game vs Falkirk).

“Well, it’s a really good point. Yeah, he was coming off the bench in some of those matches and was making an impact, particularly in the semi-final, the cup semi-final against Rangers, and that was great news.

“And he was really building confidence as well to make the penalty, although we were well and truly second or third best against Midtjylland But he came on there, made the penalty, got in behind a couple of times and looked really sharp, and then picks up the injury.

“So I think over time, I think he’ll be a really decent player for us.”

That period before the injury is where Osmand’s role was starting to take shape. He offered movement in behind and a different option late in games when Celtic needed energy up front.

Without him, those minutes have gone elsewhere. The forward line has had to adjust, often relying on more experienced options to see out matches.

5th April 2026; Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Dundee versus Celtic; Daizen Maeda of Celtic and Tomas Cvancara of Celtic challenge Brad Halliday of Dundee

His return won’t change things immediately. He will need time to get back up to speed and handle the demands of full matches again.

For now, the focus is steady progress. The signs are better, but the timeline points beyond the next two fixtures.