Celtic manager Martin O'Neill is out of hospital and "in good form," according to assistant manager Shaun Maloney, who faced the media on August 7 ahead of Sunday's trip to Kilmarnock — but whether O'Neill will be at Rugby Park remains a decision for the man himself.

O'Neill underwent a small procedure in hospital, with Celtic confirming on August 5 that their manager had been admitted and was expected to be released within a day or two (Reuters). Two days later, Maloney confirmed the 74-year-old was home and recovering well (The42).

The situation is "day-to-day," Maloney told reporters, and O'Neill would make the final call on whether he takes his place in the dugout on Sunday (BBC Sport). O'Neill was not at Celtic's Lennoxtown training ground when Maloney spoke, but the two had met the previous evening to go through preparations for the Kilmarnock match, and Maloney planned to speak with him again that afternoon.

If O'Neill decides he is not ready, the job of leading Celtic from the touchline falls to Maloney. The former Celtic midfielder, who has managed Hibernian and Wigan in his own right, admitted it would feel "strange" to take the reins at Rugby Park. Maloney has filled the media brief on previous occasions when O'Neill was unavailable, including during the manager's initial return to the club last October, when a bout of surgery kept him away from a press conference.

O'Neill and Maloney have been leading Celtic's first team on an interim basis since November 2025, when the club confirmed the arrangement would continue until a permanent appointment process is complete (Celtic FC).

On the transfer front, Maloney was blunt: he does not expect any new signings before Sunday's game. A reported bid for Oviedo's Egyptian winger Haissem Hassan will not be resolved in time. Transfer matters, Maloney confirmed, remain exclusively between O'Neill and Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson.

There was better news on the outgoing side. Celtic have fielded interest in midfielder Arne Engels and right-back Alistair Johnston, but Maloney said he had no reason to believe either would miss the squad for Kilmarnock.

Defender Auston Trusty, meanwhile, has been speaking to the club's official newsroom about the weekend ahead, with Celtic publishing his thoughts on August 7 (Celtic FC).

For Celtic fans, the picture is familiar by now. O'Neill's health has periodically required him to step back from day-to-day duties since his return, and Maloney has slotted in each time without drama. The difference on Sunday is that the season is barely underway and every early result carries weight — especially away at Kilmarnock, where Celtic have found trouble in the past.

The call, though, sits with O'Neill. And until he makes it, Maloney prepares as if he might be the one barking instructions from the touchline.