Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has suggested winger Jota could make his return from injury in Sunday's Premiership match at Fir Park. The Portuguese attacker played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match against Falkirk during the international break, putting him in contention for the trip to face Motherwell.
O'Neill confirmed the news on Friday. "There is 'every possibility' the Portuguese winger could be involved at Fir Park," the Celtic boss said. He described Jota's recent 45-minute outing as "really good". The potential return offers a timely boost for a Celtic side arriving in North Lanarkshire on the back of three consecutive defeats across domestic and European competition. The team's overall stats show they have scored an average of 2.1 goal minutes per game this season, a rate they will hope Jota can help maintain or improve upon.
Celtic injury update
O'Neill also provided updates on several other Celtic players. Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is dealing with a strain, while winger Yang Hyun-jun is recovering from a hamstring problem. Both players were absent from training earlier in the week. Full-back Alistair Johnston and forward Callum Osmand are both making progress in their rehabilitation programmes, but their availability for the weekend remains uncertain. The full extent of the club's current injuries list will be a factor in team selection.
Context for Motherwell
For Motherwell, the prospect of facing a reinforced Celtic attack adds another layer of difficulty to a key fixture. The Steelmen sit ninth in the Premiership standings with eight points from eight games, having lost four of their last five matches. Their most recent outing was a 2-0 home defeat to the same opponents just three days ago, with goals from C. Duran and B. Nygren sealing the win for the Glasgow side.
That result left Motherwell 13 points behind league leaders Celtic. Their form has been a concern, with the team conceding 13 goals while scoring only nine so far this season. Top scorer Alex Lowry, with two goals, will be a key figure if they are to get a result. The immediate focus after Sunday's game shifts to a trip to face 12th-placed Kilmarnock on Saturday, 17 October, which is the next fixture listed on their official fixtures calendar.
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