
Six pre season Celtic injury issues addressed from Hatate and Carter-Vickers to Kieran Tierney
Reo Hatate is raring to go and ready for Celtic's pre-season push.
And Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers has also given a hugely-positive fitness update on key star Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Rodgers' international stars are being reintegrated into the group after the summer break.
Hatate finished last term using crutches on the Celtic Park pitch for Trophy Day having sustained a knee injury at Aberdeen.
The Japanese star's issue kept him out of the Scottish Cup Final loss to the Reds, but, at that time of the setback, Rodgers cited a potential return for the pre-season campaign and that has come to fruition.
Rodgers confirmed Hatate is good to go as he said: 'Yes. It was just a shame for him. I'd given him an extra few days, come back in and he'll be fine.'
Carter-Vickers is also back on the training pitch after a small operation in the summer to deal with a cartilage issue.
The American defender stayed out of his country's busy international schedule and the decision has been proven shrewd with the 27-year-old back in work.
Rodgers said: 'He had some issues around the end of last season. We decided this was really important for him.
"He needed that, to get the operation. We knew then the recovery time would just be the week or so. He'd miss a week. But he's back working again and, hopefully, be ready for the next few weeks.'
Winger James Forrest is also set for a return having missed the opening pre-season clash against Queen's Park on Friday night.
Rodgers said: 'He's been training. But he's just joined. So it was just too soon for him. But he should be okay for Cork.'
The manager welcomed a host of his national-team stars back into the unit on Friday prior to the Lesser Hampden outing as the build-up gathers pace. Celtic's game against Cork in Ireland is followed by trips to Portugal and Italy.
Rodgers said: 'Yes, well, some of them, again, are staggered, We've got a number of them back. Obviously, Alistair [Johnston] will come back a little bit later. But we'd a good group of them back.
'I'm really excited by this season. I think the guys coming back, you see the quality of Daizen [Maeda] and Kieran [Tierney] and Reo and the other guys coming back. And then, obviously, we've added quality to it. I would hope that we'll be able to continue to do that.'
Rodgers is set to lose star winger Nicolas Kuhn with a £17 million deal to Como due for completion within the next 48 hours and stated after the clash against Queen's Park that the timing of the deal opens a door to quicker incomings.
In the past, it's been far-later in windows before Celtic have received bids for star turns which meets the club's valuation and deals have been concluded closer to deadline.
Rodgers outlined the situation as he explained: 'With the likes of Nicolas, if that goes through, there was interest towards the end of last season, which we knew. And then that followed through into pre-season. So that means that once we've the value that we think, then they can go on and get away early.
'With Matt [O'Riley], we didn't get the value until late on. But what is important is that you have to freshen the squad and I've been really pleased with some of the guys that we'll bring in and we need to bring in more.'
Earlier is better as Rodgers added: 'Aye, absolutely. But like I said, we will only sell if the valuation is met for any player. And then, likewise, players coming in, we have to get the right players. It's not just about getting players.
'We've got some players in that can do really well for us, but we hope to do more. But at this moment in time, it's really about getting the team ready and prepared and building the squad.'

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