No timeline for Martin O’Neill return as Celtic prepare for Kilmarnock | OneFootball

Celtic remain uncertain whether Martin O’Neill will be back in the dugout for Sunday’s Premiership clash with Kilmarnock as the manager continues his recovery following a hospital procedure.

Shaun Maloney has revealed that a decision on the 74-year-old’s involvement at Rugby Park will be taken on a day-by-day basis, with no firm timeframe currently in place for his return to first-team duties.

O’Neill was absent from Lennoxtown on Friday, leaving his assistant to oversee preparations for the weekend trip to Ayrshire.

Celtic confirmed earlier this week that the veteran boss had undergone a “small procedure” in hospital, prompting messages of support from across Scottish football.

There has since been an encouraging update on O’Neill’s condition, with Maloney visiting the manager after he was discharged from hospital on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the Kilmarnock fixture, Maloney said: “Yeah, I went to see him last night, so it was really positive.

“He got out of hospital yesterday, so yeah, he was in good form last night. Loads better than he was Monday, Tuesday.

“And yeah, hopefully that positive feeling that he has continues… but he was in good form.”

Despite that progress, Celtic are not putting any pressure on O’Neill to return in time for Sunday.

Maloney confirmed there is currently no definitive schedule for when the manager will resume his normal responsibilities, with his availability for the weekend set to depend entirely on how he feels over the coming days.

Asked about the possibility of O’Neill being back for the trip to Rugby Park, he continued: “No, no timeline. So even for the game at the weekend, it’s sort of day to day.

“He was home last night, with regards to the preparations for the game. He wasn’t in today.

“I’ll speak to him this afternoon, then he’ll make a call for tomorrow, then I’d imagine he’ll make the call for the game at the weekend.

“But if it’s this weekend, great. If it isn’t, then yeah, we’ll prepare for it without him.”

Should O’Neill decide he is not yet ready to return, Maloney and the rest of Celtic’s coaching staff will be tasked with leading the champions at Rugby Park.

The former Scotland international acknowledged that O’Neill’s absence would be significant given the influence he has had since returning to the club last October.

He added: “We’ll definitely miss him if he’s not there, but you also have to respect what’s happened in the last few days.

“The impact that he’s had since October has been nothing short of incredible, really. The things that he does with the players and the staff.

“So we will miss him, but we’ll be prepared. We’ve got some brilliant senior players.

“As I say, we’ll let him make the call, and we’ll definitely do that.”

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