Kieran Tierney Celtic Fitness Update

Martin O’Neill has confirmed Kieran Tierney will be available for Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Rangers after making his return from injury at St Johnstone.

Tierney came off the bench in the closing stages of Celtic’s 1-0 win at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night, replacing Liam Scales in the 87th minute.

It was only a brief appearance, but an important one after the left-back had missed the previous two matches against Aberdeen and St Mirren.

Speaking after the game, O’Neill was pleased to get Tierney back onto the pitch before the trip to Ibrox.

He said: (TCW), “Yes, of course. It’s nice to see him. Trying to get him on the field before the end of the game.

“Even if he’d not got on, he’d have been alright for Sunday.”

Tierney’s involvement against St Johnstone was clearly not a fitness test which he had to pass in order to make the Rangers game. O’Neill already expected the defender to be available, with the late run-out simply giving him some competitive minutes before Sunday.

The decision now is whether the Celtic boss believes Tierney is ready to start.

Scales has covered at left-back during his absence and was again given the nod in Perth, while Tierney had only recently returned to group training before making the bench.

His availability still gives O’Neill another major option at a useful time.

Celtic go to Ibrox looking to book a place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, with the match coming just four days after the win over St Johnstone.

Tierney has plenty of experience in the fixture and his return strengthens O’Neill’s defensive options ahead of the first Rangers meeting of the season.

Whether he starts or is used from the bench again remains to be seen, but O’Neill has removed any doubt over whether he will be fit enough to be involved.