‘The expectation at Celtic is to win and go through,’ KT on facing FK Sarajevo

KIERAN TIERNEY reported back at Lennoxtown yesterday and having had his double hernia operation just after the Scottish Cup Final, is anticipating a less frustrating season on a personal level. The young left back didn’t manage his usual number of appearances last term through this niggling but extremely troublesome injury that perhaps should have been seen to in the winter break.

But it’s sorted now and he’ll be ready for the challenges that the new season brings and that starts with the first competitive match which we now know will be against FK Sarajevo early next month in the first qualifying round for the Champions League. For more on today’s draw see HERE.

That game against the Bosnian double winners is just three weeks away and the preparations at Lennoxtown got underway for it yesterday when the majority of players reported back after the shortest of summer breaks. Scott Brown spoke yesterday about Callum McGregor playing in 69 matches then getting a week and a half off. It’s pretty crazy really.

Callum McGregor in action against Belgium last week.

A point we’ve made often on The Celtic Star and no apologies for making it again, is that after Celtic played Real Madrid in a testimonial match the week after beating Inter Milan in the European Cup final in Lisbon, the players had two MONTHS off before they played their next match – another friendly, this time against Tottenham in August 1967.

Tommy Gemmell and Willie Wallace on holiday in Florida

The Lions got TWO MONTHS, Callum McGregor doesn’t even get TWO WEEKS!

“It’s such a short break so we’re not coming back unfit,” KT said to the Celtic website. “We’ll lose a bit but we’re still coming back in good shape and good condition.

“We know we’re going to get a good week’s training in here at home, a good week in Austria and then we’ll be ready for the challenges ahead.”

Tierney knows that FK Sarajevo will present their own challenges to Celtic and insists that they will not be under-estimated by anyone at the Treble Treble winners.

“You don’t get easy games or bad teams nowadays,” KT said. “Every team is good and they know how to play football. They’re all well organised so there’s a clear standard to the football in that regard.

“They’re going to be hard to break down and they’ll come at us as well. We’re going into the unknown against a team we’ve never played and against players we’ve never faced. It’s a hard ask, but the expectation at Celtic is to win and go through and that’s what we’re planning to do.

“The confidence is always high at the start of the season. We’ve come back off the back of another treble. You can’t do any better than that. We’ve just won a trophy in our last game so going into our first competitive game we’re going to have confidence.”

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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