Camilo Duran was absent from Celtic training as the squad held their final session before flying out to Lisbon for Thursday's Champions League clash with Benfica. Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers were also not spotted at the session, which was led by Shaun Maloney.
Missing men and returning stars
Duran's absence may be precautionary, but it is not ideal preparation for such a monumental European game. Jota, while he has returned to action, is not on the league phase squad list and looks to have been given a rest.
One player who did train was Landon Emenalo, the Chelsea loanee making an impression amid the reduced numbers as he hopes to make his long-awaited debut soon.
Youth drafted in
Youngsters Lucas Clearie and Liam Kennedy were among the rising stars drafted in to make up the numbers with a few key men absent. They have inspiration to draw from, with recent academy graduates Colby Donovan and Dane Murray in line for starts in Lisbon.
Goalkeepers Viljami Sinisalo and Sam Johnstone were put through their paces by Michael McGovern, with Sinisalo looking the No.1 for now but Johnstone pushing him hard for his jersey.
Strikers under scrutiny
£11m striker Kasper Hogh's form has come into question recently, but he was signed for games like this. Shim Mheuka has impressed during his cameo performances and will be hoping it pays off with a start sooner rather than later.
Mika Baur delivered his defining performance in green and white against Motherwell and will be determined to show he can mix it with the very best in Lisbon. The experience of one unnamed player could also come into play, with no Celtic player having more knowhow when it comes to big European nights.
