Martin O’Neill explains Yang and Ralston Celtic absences ahead of LASK

Martin O’Neill has explained the absences of Yang Hyun-jun and Anthony Ralston from Celtic’s squad for Saturday’s 4-0 Premier Sports Cup victory over Dundee United.

Goals from Auston Trusty, Camilo Duran, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren secured Celtic’s place in the quarter-finals with a comfortable win at Tannadice.

However, there were some notable omissions from O’Neill’s matchday squad, with both Yang and Ralston missing.

With Celtic now preparing for Wednesday night’s crucial Champions League play-off first leg against LASK, O’Neill provided an update on the pair after the game.

Asked about their absence, the Celtic boss explained via The Herald: “Tony was with us, but you can only pick so many.

“Yang was really stiff, very, very stiff after training on Thursday and missed yesterday’s [Friday] training.

“But we’re hoping that he should be OK for Wednesday.”

Yang’s potential return would provide O’Neill with another attacking option for a game the Celtic manager is expecting to provide a significant test.

Discussing LASK, he continued: “They’re a very fine side, they’re very, very strong.

“Ideally, it would be great if some of the lads who have come in now had a bit more practice with the team, in that sense. But it is what it is.

“We have to be ready regardless.”

Saturday also provided first Celtic appearances for summer arrivals Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan, with both introduced from the bench at Tannadice.

O’Neill revealed the plan had always been to give Hassan a brief introduction as the winger continues to build up his fitness following the World Cup.

He added: “One can never plan these things, but the idea was at some stage or another that Hassan would maybe get the last 20 minutes.

“He’s done very little training since the World Cup.

“At least Mika has trained and played pre-season, so he’s more up to speed with things, got a little bit longer.

“And of course, there’s always the concern that somebody just stepping in, straight in, has an injury of some description, a muscle injury or something like that, and that’s what we had to be careful of. But overall, yeah, at least they got on the field of play.”