JAMES McCARTHY and the Celtic fringe players face some serious work-outs to get them up to match fitness for the rigours that lie ahead.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder has yet to kick a ball in competitive action after two Premiership games against Aberdeen and Ross County while Mikey Johnston, Christopher Jullien and Albian Ajeti haven’t made the match day squads.
Ange Postecoglou said: “It’s been a different start for us with the pre-season we’ve had and we’re so used to playing three games a week, so just having a game on the weekend means the training module is different.
NO STOPPING US…Ange Postecoglou will keep his players sharp between games.
“It almost makes it an extended pre-season with the work we’re doing on a daily basis.
“I think that will help us when the games start, but our performances right through pre-season were solid and that’s continued through the games.
“The first game against Aberdeen, there was some really good stuff and some things I thought we could have done better.
“There was progression in the second game in the way we controlled it, so it’s been a decent start.”
Postecoglou, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “It’s like anything else, it’s beneficial if we use it right. We’ve planned for it for a while and it gives us an opportunity to do some real solid work with the boys physically and around our game model.
“Once the games start we know we won’t have a lot of time to do those things, so now’s a good time to bed that down.
NO SLACKING…James McCarthy goes through a training routine at Lennoxtown.
“We have a couple of bounce games organised for the guys who’ve not played, so again we don’t need to throw them in as we know they’re match-ready.
“You’ve already seen in the early part of the year we’ve had a few injuries and illnesses, so we’ve had to put people in and I want to do that knowing they’re ready.
“All those things factor into it and we are trying to use the time as well as we can.”
The champions are now preparing for the High Noon showdown with newly-promoted Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday and the Hoops manager added: “Every week’s a different challenge and this will be a different one.
“They got promoted last year and Derek McInnes did a good job to get them up and I’m sure they’ll be looking forward to these fixtures and seeing if they can disrupt and stop us.
“Playing at their venue is another challenge on an artificial surface which affects our game, so all those things are there, but whatever challenge there is, the answer lies in our football and as long as we concentrate on playing our brand of football and believing in it we will be fine.”
The Parkhead men are on a run of 34 league games without defeat and Postecoglou will need no reminding that the last time they lost was 1-0 to Livingston on September 19 last year – on their dreaded plastic pitch.
However, Postecoglou and Co had clearly learned how to deal with the awkward surface by the time they returned on March 6 when they won 3-1 and looked fairly comfortable in achieving three more points.
