Celtic’s season has reached a point where every match feels like it carries the weight of everything that has come before it. A campaign that promised so much has turned into a battle just to stay relevant, with inconsistency, injuries, and missed opportunities leaving the club chasing rather than leading.
At Parkhead, the pressure is building. Fans are watching a side that once looked full of attacking intent now struggle to find rhythm in the final third. Goals have dried up at the worst possible time, and the lack of cutting edge has become impossible to ignore.
There is a growing sense that something is missing. Not just quality, but energy, unpredictability, and that spark that can turn tight games into wins. It has left many wondering where the next breakthrough will come from as the season edges towards its decisive weeks.
Because right now, Celtic are not just fighting opponents. They are fighting their own limitations. The title race is slipping into dangerous territory, and unless something changes quickly, the opportunity to rescue the campaign could disappear altogether.
And that is where one name, almost forgotten in recent months, suddenly comes back into focus.
Martin O’Neill has quietly offered a glimmer of hope, hinting that help may be on the way for a struggling attack. After months on the sidelines, Callum Osmand is now closing in on a return from the injury that halted his momentum earlier in the season.
During O’Neill’s first spell back at the club, Osmand suffered a serious hamstring tear in November against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League. It was a cruel setback for a player who had just begun to show flashes of what he could offer. Since then, he has been forced to watch from the sidelines as Celtic’s season unfolded without him.
Now, though, the wait appears to be nearing its end.
“Callum is doing really well,” said O’Neill. “Hopefully (a return to the pitch) wouldn’t be too far.”
While there is still no exact timeline, the message is clear. Osmand is getting closer. And for a team in desperate need of something different, that timing could not be more important.
His return feels bigger than just another player coming back into the squad. It feels like the reintroduction of a different option, someone capable of bringing life back into an attack that has looked predictable and blunt in recent weeks.
Osmand’s return cannot come quickly enough. He would provide a massive injection of freshness to a forward line that is currently struggling beyond belief.
Originally arriving as a summer signing from Fulham under Brendan Rodgers, the youngster was never used under the now Al-Qadsiah boss. That decision raised questions at the time and still feels like a missed opportunity when looking back at how the season has unfolded.
Yet even in the limited glimpses he has been given, Osmand has shown enough to suggest there is something there. Something worth investing in, something worth building around. Not just for the remainder of this season, but beyond it as well.
That is why his return carries so much weight.
Because Celtic’s position leaves no room for error. Sitting third in the Premiership table behind Rangers and leaders Hearts, every game from here on feels like a must win. There is no margin left for slip ups, no easy path back into control.
If they fall short, there will be no hiding from it. This has already been a season filled with frustration, and anything less than a strong finish will only deepen that feeling.
Still, there remains one realistic route to redemption.
The Scottish Cup.
After the heartbreak of last season’s final defeat on penalties to Aberdeen, Celtic have a chance to put that right. A semi final against League Cup holders St Mirren lies ahead, and beyond that, a potential final against either Falkirk or Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline. The path is there. The question is whether they can take it.
And this is where Osmand’s return starts to feel even more significant.
He already knows what it feels like to deliver in big moments. His goal against Rangers earlier this season at Hampden is still fresh in the memory, a reminder of what he can produce when given the chance.
Celtic fans will be hoping that moment was just the beginning. That there is more to come. That the player who showed that composure on a big stage can return and make an impact when it matters most.
For now, all eyes are on his recovery. On the final steps before he returns to the pitch.
“Callum is doing really well,” said O’Neill. “I think he is anxious to go. He has been working exceptionally well, so hopefully that wouldn’t be too far.”
Celtic have been searching for answers in attack for weeks. They may just be about to get one.