Celtic captain Callum McGregor is “ahead of schedule” as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, according to manager Ange Postecoglou.

The 29-year-old has been sidelined since the beginning of October when he had to be substituted before half-time in the 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig, but Postecoglou is positive about the progress the midfielder has been making in terms of getting back to fitness:

“The recovery’s going well but we won’t see him before the break. Callum being Callum, he’s pushing every boundary and is probably ahead of schedule, which is no surprise to us. Speaking to him, he’s in a really good space and is really pleased with how it’s going. He realises when we come back there’s still a fair bit of the season to go; the most important part of the season. He wants to be a big contributor to that.”

McGregor didn’t need surgery but he is still expected to be out of contention for a number of months. Postecoglou’s comments do suggest that he may now be able to return when the season restarts after the World Cup in December but there is still some way to go in his rehabilitation.

The likes of Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate have been performing well in the captain’s absence, while Aaron Mooy has also stepped up in recent games to put in some decent performances, but Postecoglou will still want to get the club’s talisman back in the side as soon as possible.