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Maloney on returning duo, Europa hopes & Green Brigade boycott

Assistant manager Shaun Maloney has been speaking to the media as Celtic prepare to host Celta Vigo in the Europa League on Thursday.

Here are the main points:

  • Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are back in training after injury and will be in contention for Sunday's game at Hibs but not Thursday's Europa League match.

  • Auston Trusty has been dealing with a personal matter so also isn't available to face Celta.

  • The 7-1 win over Hearts last weekend "massively helps" the players' confidence but Maloney doesn't regard it as a "seismic" result, saying that while it was an excellent performance Celtic still have "a fair bit to work on and continue to work on", especially off the ball.

  • With no points from their opening two games, Thursday night is "close to" a must-win game for Celtic's hopes of Europa League progress and Maloney says: "We're really early into it, but our home form is probably going to dictate whether we go through or not."

  • He adds: "I think if we can get a really committed team with and without the ball, then we can definitely win this game. If we don't, then Celta are a good side, they can definitely hurt you."

  • Maloney says the balance of Celtic's midfield is "something we've been trying to figure out all season", adding: "At times we get it right, it looks really good, and then there's been certain matches away from home in Europe that it's looked harder."

  • Thursday marks the first game of the Green Brigade's boycott, with Maloney saying it is a "tough time" and he hopes a resolution can be found. He references the unity at the club in the final weeks of last season: "Everyone was together. I think all of us, fans, staff, everyone, we're desperate to get that all the time. If we could get to that place again, then it would be amazing."

  • On manager Martin O'Neill considering his future last month after Celtic's run of three defeats before the international break, Maloney says: "It was fine. Martin made a decision pretty quickly and started speaking about how he wanted to improve the side. It's our job to take his vision of how he sees the team and try and coach the team in that vision. Pretty quickly, you have to get on with that."

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