Celtic might be based at a plush five-star resort in Portugal.
But this has been anything but a holiday for Martin O’Neill’s squad.
The Scottish champions have been put through their paces during a gruelling week-long training camp in the Algarve, with Callum McGregor and Co sweating through double sessions in the blazing sunshine.
Now it’s time to put all that hard work to the test as they round off the trip with a friendly against Portuguese runners-up Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Algarve.
It’s a repeat of the same fixture from last summer when goals from Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan sealed a 2-0 victory for the Hoops.
Fans will be hoping to catch a first glimpse of £6million signing Camilo Duran, as the Colombian striker makes the bench after missing training yesterday through illness.
Celtic’s World Cup contingent remain unavailable, meaning another batch of youngsters could be handed the chance to impress before the squad head back to Glasgow straight after the game.
Celtic XI: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Murray, Scales; McGregor, McCowan, Bernardo; Forrest, Osmand, Balikwisha.
Celtic XI: Sinisalo; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Murray, Scales; McGregor, McCowan, Bernardo; Forrest, Osmand, Balikwisha.
Subs: Doohan, Gill, Duran, Nawrocki, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Engels, McArdle, Ure, Bonnar, Montgomery, Hatton, Dargie, Hatate, Turley, Obidiwe, Charlton, Haney, Kennedy.
Follow all of the build-up, team news, action and reaction as it happens with Record Sport’s LIVE blog from the Algarve.
