Celtic could finally get their first look at summer signing Landon Emenalo this weekend. The Chelsea loanee has completed his rehabilitation and is in contention for Sunday’s matchday squad.

The 18-year-old joined Celtic on a season-long loan on 2 September, just before the transfer window closed, but has not featured for the club at any point during the opening weeks of the campaign. An injury sustained around the time of his move meant he went straight into rehabilitation rather than straight into Martin O’Neill’s plans, leaving supporters waiting to see what the youngster can offer.

CeltsAreHere has covered his gradual return to training over recent weeks, but this weekend marks a notable step forward. The suggestion in Celtic circles that Emenalo could be named in the squad for Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash with Hearts at Celtic Park is the clearest indication yet that his time on the sidelines is behind him.

Keep track of every knock and return with our Celtic injury news.

Emenalo was signed to address Celtic’s lack of cover at left-back, with Kieran Tierney’s injury record making dependable back-up at that position a priority. The teenager, who can also play in central midfield, comes with genuine pedigree from Chelsea’s academy, where he helped the Blues win the Premier League 2 title and the Under-18 national championship.

The son of former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo, Landon is yet to make a senior competitive appearance in professional football. A squad place against Hearts would be the first step toward changing that, with Sunday offering O’Neill the chance to give supporters a first look at the loanee.

Getting into the squad and getting minutes are two different things, but after nearly seven weeks on the sidelines, his name being in the conversation at all is progress. Celtic supporters have waited since deadline day for exactly this.

Sunday’s game kicks off at 3pm at Celtic Park. It will be Hearts first visit to the ground since they lost the league in dramatic fashion on the final day of last season.