Celtic head coach Martin O’Neill has provided an update on the fitness of Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho as the striker continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, according to Completesports.com.
Iheanacho has been out of action since picking up the injury during Celtic’s defeat to St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final last December, a setback that halted his momentum over the festive period.
The 29-year-old took a positive step toward a return after rejoining full training with his teammates on Friday, ahead of Celtic’s Scottish Premiership trip to face Hearts on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference, O’Neill confirmed Iheanacho’s return to training but cautioned that the upcoming league fixture would come too soon for the forward.
“He trained today, yes, I think that might be his second day,” O’Neill said. “He didn’t travel with us, but he’s been doing some training, and he did fine today.”
The Celtic boss expressed satisfaction with Iheanacho’s progress, noting that his presence back on the training pitch is a boost for the squad as the business end of the season approaches.
“It might be a bit of a stretch to start him in a game at the moment,” O’Neill added, “but at least he’s going to be available,” suggesting the striker could soon be back in contention once fully match-fit.
