Midway through the second international break of the season, Celtic fans are longing for the return of club football.
Last weekend’s late win over Ross County now seems like a distant memory, but next Saturday’s table-topping clash with Aberdeen at Parkhead is too far in the distant future to fully consider.
The clash with the Dons, though, is the first of an arduous run of importance for the Hoops.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have started the season impeccably, winning all but one of their games so far. Maintaining such a record will be pivotal going into a run where they play – on average – every three days.
Firstly, the Scottish champions have Jimmy Thelin’s flying Reds to contend with in Glasgow’s east end.
The Wednesday after that match, the Bhoys travel to Bergamo to play Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League.
A trip to Fir Park follows the match with last season’s Europa League winners before Dundee visit Parkhead the night before Halloween in the first-midweek domestic game of the campaign.
The following Saturday sees the Celts return to Hampden to reunite with the Dons in the league cup semi-finals.
Three days later, RB Leipzig are due to pay another visit to Glasgow in Europe. A game away at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock on Sunday, November 9th, will then end what is arguably the Bhoys’ most difficult fixture run of the campaign.
Rodgers’ squad will have to be fully utilised as the club looks to progress across three different, yet equally important, competitions.
