Ange Postecoglou fires Celtic 'no days off' warning as boss takes silver lining from Conference League exit

Ange Postecoglou is full of admiration for the way his focused Celtic troops have pushed themselves through barriers during a gruelling recent run.

But although the boss believes a mental break will freshen up his group at a key point of the campaign, he insists the rare break in the match calendar does not mean it’s time to step off the pedal.

For the first time since returning from the winter break, Postecoglou ’s side has no midweek game.

Exit from European competition means Celtic are not in action until Monday’s Scottish Cup encounter with Dundee United at Tannadice.

After a non-stop grind of 14 games at home and abroad since the return from the shutdown, Postecoglou sees the benefits in the short gap.

But while it’s a brief halt in matches, there’s no time to stop in terms of the work with the pivotal run-in approaching.

For those who have featured in the majority of the matches or come off long seasons before signing, there will be a chance to recharge the mental batteries.

For others who haven’t played as much during the 14-game run, it’s an opportunity to get crucial fitness work into the legs.

Postecoglou is relishing the chance to have the group on the training pitch for a sustained week of work.

He explained: “It’s not about days off, it’s just about freshening them a bit. The players will still be in at Lennoxtown but they will come in with a different mindset.

“When you know there is a game coming up in midweek, you tend to just work on recovery. It’ll be great for the players to just train as normal as this is the first free midweek we’ve had all year.

“It allows them to freshen up mentally instead of preparing for a game in the midweek.

“I will freshen up a few and I’ll also get the chance to put some