Kieran Tierney made his return to action on Saturday night as Scotland rounded off their World Cup preparations with a comfortable 4-0 win over Bolivia.
The Celtic defender had caused concern when he limped off late in the Scottish Cup final win over Dunfermline at Hampden last month.
Those fears were eased against Bolivia.
Tierney was introduced at half-time, replacing Andy Robertson, and played the full second half as Scotland cruised through their final warm-up match.
It was a sensible way to manage his return. Scotland had already done the damage before the break, so Tierney was able to get important minutes into his legs without being thrown into a high-pressure situation.
From a Celtic point of view, it was exactly what supporters would have wanted to see. No drama, no setback, just 45 minutes back on the pitch after the scare at Hampden.
Anthony Ralston also featured from the bench, giving Celtic another representative on the night.
Ralston has often been trusted by Clarke in the Scotland setup and again got minutes as the national team rotated heavily during the second half.
Scotland’s win was already secure by that stage, but for both Celtic players, the minutes still mattered.
Tierney’s fitness will be the bigger talking point, especially with his injury history and the timing of the knock in the cup final.
But Saturday night was encouraging.
He came through the second half, got competitive rhythm back, and gave Clarke another option heading into the World Cup.
For Celtic, it was a positive update too. Tierney’s return removes at least some of the concern that followed his Hampden exit, while Ralston’s involvement continues his steady presence in the Scotland squad.
