Three Celtic training clues spotted ahead of crucial Rangers derby

Celtic continued their preparations at Lennoxtown ahead of Sunday’s Premiership showdown with Rangers, with several interesting details emerging from the latest training session.

The fixture may not technically be a must-win for Celtic given their position at the summit. Even a defeat at Celtic Park would leave Martin O’Neill’s side top of the table.

However, the circumstances surrounding the match make a reaction increasingly important.

Celtic have now come up short in their three biggest tests of the campaign against LASK, Rangers and Ferencvaros. Another poor performance would only increase the pressure on O’Neill and his squad, making Sunday’s derby an opportunity to restore some confidence.

Here are three things that stood out from training.

Jota continues his comeback

Jota was once again pictured taking part in training as he continues his rehabilitation following his lengthy spell away from action.

The winger initially returned looking noticeably lighter, which was hardly surprising after spending so much time out. More recently, however, he appears to have regained some physical strength and has continued working extensively with the ball.

O’Neill has already indicated that Jota is progressing well and has even been involved in small-sided games.

A return after the upcoming international break has been suggested as a possibility, potentially bringing his comeback forward from the original timetable.

Celtic have lacked a regular source of creativity and unpredictability during Jota’s absence, so getting the Portuguese back to full fitness would provide O’Neill with another attacking option.

Academy players involved

A number of younger players were also given the chance to train alongside the senior group at Lennoxtown.

Jude Bonnar and Francis Turley were among the academy players involved, with some established first-team members seemingly being allowed additional recovery time following Thursday’s Europa League disappointment.

Their presence should not automatically be interpreted as an indication that either youngster is in line to play against Rangers.

Nevertheless, opportunities to train around the first-team squad can only benefit the academy players as they continue their development.

Trusty and Oxlade-Chamberlain pushing for starts

Auston Trusty and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were both involved in the session, giving O’Neill further selection options ahead of the derby.

There has been understandable debate over Celtic’s defensive setup following Liam Scales’ difficult outing against Ferencvaros.

Trusty has generally looked assured when called upon this season and could now be considered for a starting role alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is another player who could come into contention.

Celtic have struggled to impose themselves in midfield during their recent defeats, particularly when opponents have put them under pressure. The former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder could potentially add greater composure and physical presence in the middle of the park.

His workload will need to be carefully managed given his fitness history, but his previous appearances have shown that he can bring control and experience to the side.

Celtic were comprehensively beaten by Rangers in their previous meeting, so O’Neill needs to find a way to prevent a repeat of those problems.

Trusty and Oxlade-Chamberlain could both offer some of the experience, strength and composure Celtic were missing during that 3-0 defeat.