Celtic's Martin O’Neill Misses Final Training Session Ahead of Kilmarnock Clash

Martin O’Neill stayed away from Celtic’s final training session before Sunday’s Premiership trip to Kilmarnock as he continues his recovery from a spell in hospital this week.

The 74-year-old underwent what the club described on Wednesday as a “small procedure”, with the expectation he would be discharged within 48 hours. Since then he has not returned to Lennoxtown, leaving Shaun Maloney to run first-team preparations, supported by coaches Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus.

Maloney will also front up for the club off the pitch. He is set to handle all media duties in O’Neill’s place, including the pre-match press conference this afternoon, as Celtic ready themselves for a testing visit to Rugby Park.

Whether O’Neill makes it back to the technical area in time for the weekend remains uncertain. His involvement on Sunday is still to be decided, and Celtic will wait on medical guidance before making any call on his presence.

Jota Steps Back Into the Frame

There was at least one uplifting sight at Lennoxtown on Friday.

Jota, out of competitive action for more than a year, stepped up his comeback by rejoining the first-team group in training. The Portuguese winger is in the final stages of rehabilitation from the serious knee injury that halted his momentum and stripped Celtic of one of their most dynamic attacking options.

He suffered a cruciate ligament tear at Tannadice in April 2025 and has endured a long, stuttering road back, with multiple setbacks ruling him out of any late return during the closing weeks of last season. His involvement in full-group work now signals that the worst of that ordeal may finally be behind him.

Celtic travel to Kilmarnock juggling uncertainty over their manager and cautious optimism over a key forward’s recovery. How quickly O’Neill and Jota can fully rejoin the fight will shape more than just this weekend.