Celtic's Champions League Readiness Under Scrutiny as LASK Second Leg Looms
Celtic are back on Europe's biggest stage, and the question on every supporter's mind is whether Martin O'Neill's squad is deep enough to handle it.
A new episode of the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, broadcast on 25 August 2026, asks a straightforward but loaded question: are Celtic Champions League ready under O'Neill? The 27-minute discussion, presented by David Currie with Cillian Sheridan and Gordon Wadden, digs into where the Scottish champions need to strengthen before the transfer window closes — and whether they can compete on all fronts at once (BBC Sounds).
The timing is sharp. Celtic hosted Austrian side LASK at Celtic Park on 19 August in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, a two-legged tie whose winner advances to the competition's league phase — the group-style format that replaced the old group stage in 2024 (Celtic FC). The podcast debates how Celtic should approach the away second leg against LASK: attack early to kill the tie, or play cautiously and protect whatever aggregate lead they carry.
One thread running through the episode is the full-back position. Alistair Johnston is confirmed to be facing a lengthy layoff, and the panel asks whether Colby Donovan — a player who would step into that defensive wide role — is the long-term answer to the gap Johnston leaves (BBC Sounds).
The broader squad picture is unsettled. O'Neill himself told BBC Sport on 18 August that it is unlikely Celtic will sign any new players before Tuesday — including a replacement for Arne Engels, who has moved to West Ham (BBC Sport). That leaves the squad thinner than the manager would like at exactly the moment European football demands its deepest benches.
Celtic's domestic dominance is well established. A 2-2 draw with Hibernian stretched their unbeaten domestic run to 58 matches — a streak that speaks to consistency but also to the physical toll of going deep in every competition (Celtic FC). The challenge O'Neill faces is keeping that run alive while also negotiating European nights that demand a different level entirely.
The Champions League league phase draw — where Celtic would learn their eight opponents under the current Swiss-model format — takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday 27 August at 5pm UK time (The Scotsman). If Celtic get past LASK, their name goes into the pot alongside Europe's elite.
For fans, this is the week where the season's ambition crystallises. Get past LASK and the Champions League league phase awaits, with all the glamour and revenue that brings. Stumble, and the focus narrows back to domestic business — a prospect no Celtic supporter wants to contemplate in August.
