Martin O’Neill makes revealing Jota admission following Kilmarnock substitution
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has explained his decision to substitute Jota at half-time during Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Parkhead.
The Portuguese winger made his first start for the Hoops since April 2025, marking another significant milestone in his recovery from the serious knee injury that sidelined him for more than a year.
Jota has been gradually reintegrated into the first-team picture in recent weeks, with O’Neill carefully managing his minutes following such a lengthy absence.
However, the 26-year-old was withdrawn at the interval against Kilmarnock, with the Celtic boss revealing that fatigue had already become apparent during the closing stages of the first half.
Speaking to CelticPlayer after the match, O’Neill said: “I didn’t expect Jota to play much more than the half because that was the starting.”
“I maybe thought he might get 60 minutes in the game, but he was really tiring in the last 10 minutes before half-time.”
O’Neill also revealed that he had discussed the situation with Jota before kick-off, making it clear that his involvement would depend on how he coped physically.
He added: “I said to him before the game, ‘I don’t expect you to go the whole way, I want to see how it is at half-time.’”
