Thirteen games, hundreds of minutes and thousands of miles covered in just 42 days.
It’s been a gruelling six weeks for Celtic. But the most important figure for the Hoops right now? The number seven. That’s the gap on Rangers at the top of the Premiership after a lung-busting schedule at home and abroad which has left the champions on 39 points heading into this afternoon’s clash with Ross County.
It’s also a mighty 10 points better off than the same stage last season for Ange Postecoglou ’s side. The manager is preparing his leg-weary troops for one last push before the World Cup break when Malky Mackay’s Staggies arrive in Glasgow today. And Postecoglou insists that navigating that exhausting run with minimal disruption domestically proves they can handle ANYTHING that is thrown their way after the World Cup. He said: “This will be our 13th game in 42 days, and that includes Champions League and all the travel that goes with that, and the boys have done well.
“Their form in the league has been a credit to them. We have had a challenging start to the season. We have had 14 games and eight of them have been away from home.
“Our performances for the most part have been strong. The schedule when we resume will not be anywhere near as busy as it has been.
“If the players can handle that they can negotiate anything. The break for the World Cup is something new, but we knew about it and we have planned for it from pre-season.
“It’s important that we finish with a win and go into the World Cup break on a high. We have come through a hectic period.
“We want to make sure our form in terms of performances and results continues. Their last few results have been very positive for them.
“But we know that it will always be a very difficult game when you play Ross County anyway. We will make sure that our level of performances is at the right level. We will be aggressive and maintain our intensity and tempo. If we do that we will be alright.”
Celtic head Down Under to compete in the Sydney Super Cup next week and Postecoglou will have a strong squad on board the flight - minus four players that are headed to Qatar for the World Cup. Skipper Callum McGregor will be in the group but won’t feature in any of the fixtures as he continues his rehab from the knee injury that’s seen him ruled out for the past month.
There’s no chance of World Cup bound Cameron Carter-Vickers, Daizen Maeda, Josip Juranovic and Aaron Mooy being rested against County today though. Postecoglou said: “I think if you try to manufacture something it never works.
“I could not play a player for 10 days and he could pick up an injury when he returns to the side. I think the guys would probably prefer to be involved and go into the World Cup in good form and with a lot of football behind them.
“Callum will come to Australia with us, but he will not be involved in the games. They will come too early for him. He should be able to do some light training in Australia and when we go to Portugal. Hopefully he’ll be ready to return when club football resumes after the World Cup break next month.”
Carter-Vickers’ place in the US squad was confirmed moments after Wednesday’s 2-1 victory at Motherwell. The 24-year-old has been a rock in Postecoglou’s defence almost from the moment he arrived on an initial loan deal from Spurs on the summer deadline day last year.
The Hoops boss insists there was never any doubt they’d be taking up the option on Carter-Vickers’ loan deal this year even if the initial £6m outlay could rise as high as £10m. He reckons the stopper has taken his game onto a new level - and will become even better for his experience in Qatar.
He said: “I’m delighted for Cameron. It’s brilliant for him and it’s brilliant for our club.
“When we brought him in last year he had been playing Championship football and had won a couple of caps for his national team. I think he saw coming to Celtic as an opportunity for him to take his football to another level and he has done that.
“He has been brilliant for us. He embraced the club from the minute that he arrived and has now taken on the captaincy.
“This call-up is a credit to him. We had the option to take up the loan on him in the summer.
“There was never any doubt in our mind as a football club about wanting to do that and he was never in any doubt about where he wanted to be. It will be a once of a lifetime experience for him.
“He will learn so much from it both as a player and as a person and I think it will benefit us when he returns.”
READ NEXT:
