Celtic target bounce game before Rangers showdown in bid to get fringe men firing

Celtic’s first-team dressing-room may be half empty for the next few days but boss Ange Postecoglou isn’t concerned about his dozen players absent on international duty.

The Hoops gaffer believes it’s a chance to get some of those remaining rested or up to speed in time for the title race run-in.

The risk of injury to his key men who are playing for their countries over the next two weeks is at the back of his mind.

But the Aussie insists he’s an optimist who believes in the lap of the gods for keeping his stars injury-free.

He said: “There’s a couple like Joe Hart and Cameron Carter-Vickers who we will just freshen up in the first week.

“There are others who we will try and get some good work into. We might try to arrange a bounce game too because there are a few who haven’t had a game for a while.

“We’ll get some meaningful minutes into those guys and some rest for the others.

“We have a dozen away plus a few younger players with the underage national teams.

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“But there will be plenty of players here we can get some work into over the next two weeks. You do worry about [someone being hurt] a little but at the same time injuries can happen here in training.

“The challenge for some of our lads