Celtic have received a double injury boost ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Motherwell later this afternoon.
Looking to bounce back from a lacklustre goalless draw with Dundee United last time out, the Hoops welcome the Steelmen to Parkhead at 3pm.
Brendan Rodgers’ squad was ravaged by injury and illness at Tannadice at the weekend, with the likes of James Forrest, Nicolas Kuhn, Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Auston Trusty all missing out.
That meant several fringe players came into the team, including Anthony Ralston, Yang Hyun-jun, and Stephen Welsh, who made his first appearance of the campaign.
Ahead of this afternoon’s match-up, the manager has provided Celtic fans with a late Christmas present.
Indeed, he recently confirmed that first-choice centre-back duo Carter-Vickers and Trusty should be fit to face Motherwell: “We have to recover quickly between games now,” he said (The Celtic Way).
“Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty should be back. They did some work on the bike on Sunday, and all being well, they should be available.
“We have so many games, and we will need everyone available.”
While Liam Scales and Welsh coped amply with the threat Dundee United posed on Sunday, helping Celtic to another clean sheet, Rodgers will be delighted to have his first-choice central defensive partnership back for this afternoon.
The clash with Stuart Kettlewell’s side is the first of back-to-back home games for the Hoops this week, from which they will aim to take maximum points before the new year trip to Ibrox comes into view.
Yes good to have them back it’s in the wings we need khun or forest both missed badly and Rodgers knows it palmer was a big disappointment but we still should have one kyoko miss firing shots off target not a worry bit let’s board know pools not as strong as we thought our wingers were not upto it our left side are not getting to bye line nothing came from that side young south Korean should have been on the left there fullbacks were on yellow cards and we didn’t keep taken them on maeda has to up his forward play I mean out wide and get decent crossing in 1 out 7not nearly good enough