IHEANACHO RETURNS… BUT CELTIC’S TRAINING FOOTAGE REVEALS SOMETHING STRANGE AHEAD OF STUTTGART
Kelechi Iheanacho has stepped back into full training with Celtic F.C., offering a timely lift to the Parkhead side ahead of their high-stakes Europa League showdown with VfB Stuttgart. The club released clips from the latest training session, and while his presence alone is encouraging, the footage has sparked fresh debate about his overall sharpness and fitness levels.
Celtic’s struggles in front of goal have been one of the defining themes of their campaign. For a club historically known for dominant attacking numbers in the Scottish Premiership, this season has felt unusually blunt. At one stage before his injury setback, Iheanacho had quietly become the Bhoys’ most dependable central goal threat a worrying sign in itself considering he hadn’t even fully settled into a consistent run of games.
The Nigerian international originally suffered his setback during Celtic’s victory over FC Utrecht, a match that was supposed to mark momentum building in attack. He later made a comeback appearance against Falkirk F.C. at the beginning of February, raising hopes that he had put his injury concerns behind him. However, those hopes were short-lived as he was forced back onto the sidelines shortly after.
Now, with the business end of the season approaching, his return to training is being viewed as a potentially season-defining development. Manager Martin O’Neill is desperately searching for reliable firepower as Celtic juggle domestic ambitions with European commitments. The Hoops are chasing success on multiple fronts, and without a clinical striker, their aspirations of a league and cup double could quickly unravel.
The training footage, though, raised subtle concerns. During a stretching drill, Iheanacho was paired with Anthony Ralston, and at one moment he appeared to grimace slightly, as though feeling discomfort. It may well have been nothing players often show minor reactions during intense stretching routines but given his recent injury history, fans will understandably be cautious. Celtic simply cannot afford another setback to one of their few proven finishers.
What makes Iheanacho’s situation even more revealing is a statistic that highlights the scale of Celtic’s attacking issues. Despite missing chunks of the campaign, his three league goals make him the club’s second-highest scoring recognised striker in the Scottish Premiership. That fact alone underlines how underwhelming the output has been from the central forward positions.
Only Johnny Kenny has scored more among Celtic’s strikers, with four league goals to his name. Meanwhile, Tomáš Čvančara has managed just one. While Daizen Maeda leads the overall league scoring charts for the club with seven goals, he primarily operates from wide areas rather than as a traditional number nine.
For a club of Celtic’s stature, it is almost unthinkable to reach this stage of the season without a single recognised striker hitting double figures in the league. Historically, Parkhead has been home to prolific forwards who comfortably surpassed that mark. The current numbers reflect a blunt edge that has cost them in tight matches, where one moment of clinical finishing can decide everything.
If Iheanacho can regain full match fitness and rediscover rhythm quickly, he could still play a decisive role in salvaging Celtic’s attacking narrative this season. But the pressure is immense. Supporters will be watching closely not just for goals, but for signs that he is moving freely, striking cleanly, and ready to shoulder the responsibility of leading the line.
With European nights looming and domestic titles still within reach, Celtic’s season may hinge on whether Iheanacho’s return is merely symbolic or the spark that reignites their frontline.
