Celtic should have clean bill of health for midweek Livingston test

The Celtic first-team coach will again take charge of a depleted line-up this afternoon as the ailing champions take on David Martindale’s in-form Livi side.

But manager Neil Lennon, assistant John Kennedy and all of the players self-isolating after the ill-fated trip to Dubai – bar Christopher Jullien – will return for the trip to West Lothian.

“Those guys should be available for midweek,” Strachan said. “Some come back Sunday, some on Monday. We’ll have a training group on Sunday and those guys will be in to work.

“It’s been a bit like the first lockdown, where equipment was provided for them [to train at home].

“Really they’re working towards the same programmes we had going back then, trying to make them as fit as they can be.

“It’s only been a week so hopefully they shouldn’t need that much in terms of fitness.”

Strachan admits it has been a strange week as he has taken training at Lennoxtown, but says that manager Lennon will still select the side for the game this afternoon.

“Neil will pick the team,” he said. “That’s exactly what will happen.

“It’s probably just as you’d expect. He’ll ask how things are and what our plans are [for training] and then, once we’re finished, he’ll ask how it went and who did well.

“The group has been led ever so well in this particular situation by the experienced players like Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and Greg Taylor. They’ve really taken the younger players under their wing and tried to show them what the squad is all about and the standards that we set.”

Celtic have no new positive Coronavirus tests ahead of today’s match, and will welcome back a couple of players into the fold.

“Everyone who played on Monday and the whole training group for the week, they’ve all tested negative,” Strachan said.

“Nir (Bitton) has trained the last couple of days so he’s back in contention.

“Scott Robertson has come back from his loan at Gillingham so he’s back in the group as well.”