Whereas Martin O’Neill’s absence from Celtic coaching yesterday was fully anticipated, the presence of a well-known face on the Lennoxtown grass was not.
When Joao Pedro Neves Filipe — aka Jota — left Tannadice on crutches on April 26, 2025, his damage was a mere footnote on one other title celebration.
Whereas the grim prognosis of a cruciate ligament damage deepened the priority across the winger within the days which adopted, even probably the most pessimistic outlook then put a return date across the new 12 months.
Because the weeks turned to months, although, the issues and the setbacks duly arrived. And when a whole season got here and went with out the participant being seen, inevitably there got here rumours of the worst conceivable information. That at simply 27 years outdated, Jota may very well be completed.
However whereas that query was answered the second Celtic’s media workforce posted an image of the participant getting again to enterprise yesterday, one other key one stays.
After lacking 16 months of soccer and nonetheless requiring probably one other eight weeks of coaching earlier than he may very well be thought of as able to return to the first-team, can he probably be the identical participant that terrorised defences in his first spell in Glasgow?
Jota has been a agency favorite with Celtic supporters throughout his two spells on the membership
The query was put to Shaun Maloney, somebody who can relate to the torment of the Portuguese having himself sustained a vital damage again in 2004. The reply was delivered with out hesitation.
‘Yeah, positively,’ he said. ‘It would take a little bit of time and exhausting work. He’s positively placing within the hours.
‘He seems to be actually sturdy. Yeah, he’s acquired each likelihood. The final couple of weeks have been actually optimistic.
‘Cameron (Carter-Vickers) had a very unhealthy damage. He was out for eight or 9 months, however he had the total pre-season.
‘So, we’ll should attempt to do one thing comparable with Jota to present him one of the best likelihood that when he comes again, he’s the participant that you’ve all watched quite a few instances. There’s completely little doubt that he can do it.’
Maloney can attest from bitter private expertise that the gruelling restoration is each bodily and psychological. He’s considered the ethical assist Celtic have given the participant as being simply as essential because the ability of a surgeon and his scalpel.
‘Clearly, Brendan (Rodgers) and his workers picked up the beginning of that,’ he added. ‘The medical workforce are actually essential. As can occur in longer accidents, he’s acquired a very good reference to the physios.
‘They’re in all probability extra essential than us. I feel fixed communication with them has in all probability helped.
‘I feel we’ve all been on Zooms with him when he’s been doing his rehab in Portugal. Fozzy (Mark Fotheringham) is probably the most optimistic man on the earth. He’s been actually, actually good with him.
‘But additionally Martin. Martin’s been actually, actually good with him when it comes to consistently being in communication.
Jota has been out of motion since April 2025 after choosing up a horror damage at Tannadice
‘That’s all peripheral stuff. I feel the principle guys that he’s relied on is the bodily and the medical workforce. The medical workforce and him have actually been inseparable.
‘They should take any type of credit score reasonably than us, each week or as soon as a fortnight chatting with him. These guys have been in day by day communication with him.’
It goes with out saying that there’s a must mood expectations of these supporters who worshipped the bottom the participant stood on when he first moved from Benfica in 2021.
This is applicable to each when Jota may return to the primary workforce and what he’ll be able to as he finds his ft. However yesterday was unquestionably an excellent day for all involved — the firmest indication but that his return is now a matter of when and never if.
‘He’s had a very troublesome time,’ Maloney mirrored. ‘From our aspect, it’s a must to simply mood it barely.
‘There’s a good bit to this. It’s one factor coming again to coaching this week with no contact. Then it’s a must to turn into free within the subsequent few weeks and construct up that tolerance to it. We then should create friendlies for him too.
‘By the point you see him on the pitch for the primary workforce, there may have been a number of hurdles to recover from. Hallowe’en or November won’t be 1,000,000 miles away.
‘I might hope that it’s earlier for his sake, however I’m not likely positive when it will likely be. Hopefully it will likely be faster as a result of he has accelerated in the previous couple of weeks.
‘I feel for Jota himself, I wouldn’t need to cease any type of positivity as a result of it has been that troublesome for him. It’s simply actually slowly constructing him into coaching.
‘In the present day, he did each drill, however not each drill was contact. So, it labored out for him. He’s nonetheless going to be a superb few weeks, not two or three. However it’s actually optimistic.
Shaun Maloney expects Celtic to do extra switch enterprise over the approaching weeks
‘I do know it’s optimistic for the boy, it’s optimistic for us and clearly his assist. I’ve by no means labored with him, however once I’ve watched him, he’s very, excellent.’
There’s no disputing that. The star participant within the aspect which received two titles underneath Ange Postecoglou, Jota’s transfer to Saudi Professional League aspect Al-Ittihad might have introduced in £25million, however it markedly diminished the standard of the aspect.
Had every other participant been absent for therefore lengthy, they’d have been in peril of changing into a forgotten man. Not so a participant blessed with such elegant capacity.
Whereas Celtic are pursuing a deal for Actual Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan to strengthen the correct flank, Jota’s doubtless availability in October is the principle cause why they haven’t gone after a left-sided vast man.
‘When Jota comes again, it’s in all probability just like the 9 place,’ Maloney mentioned. ‘You then have Jota, (Seb) Tounekti and (Hyung-jun) Yang who clearly performed there within the final recreation. I actually like Yang off the left. It’s actually sturdy.
‘So, on that left aspect, when Jota’s match, we’re actually good. On the correct aspect, it’s barely completely different.
‘We have to exchange the profile that the membership misplaced in (Nicolas) Kuhn as a result of if you’ve acquired that type of left-footed winger (on the correct), you may assault in another way.’
Have been Hassan to signal, it appears doubtless that Celtic would finish their pursuit of Frosinone’s Fares Ghedjemis.
‘On that proper aspect, I feel if we get one in with a sure profile and we preserve everybody, I feel that is perhaps sufficient,’ mentioned Maloney.
‘I feel the job that Yang did (beforehand), Tounekti can play off the correct, we’ve acquired younger (Sean) McArdle coming via, we’ve acquired James Forrest. I feel we’ve to attend and see.’
