​After the pre-season opener in Dublin, Celtic moved to their pre-season training camp in Portugal and just like last season this includes a friendly match in the Algarve against Sporting CP (aka Sporting Lisbon)…Midseason Friendly, Tolka Park, Dublin, 7 July 2026 Shelbourne vs Celtic. Celtic manager Martin O’Neill with his team during a hydration break. Photo IMAGO / Inpho PhotographyAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat match will be played later today at Estadio Algarve in Almancil, with Martin O’Neill looking to get minutes into as many players’ legs as possible in testing warm-weather conditions.New Celtic signing Camilo Duran missed training yesterday with a sickness bug so may have to sit this one out. Martin O’Neill will also be without the eight World Cup Celts who are having a well deserved holiday after their efforts for their national sides at the World Cup, so Celtic will be without Alistair Johnston, Anthony Ralston, Kieran Tierney, Auston Trusty, Benjamin Nygren, Sebastian Tounekti, Yang and Daizen Maeda.Midseason Friendly, Tolka Park, Dublin 7 7 2026 Shelbourne vs Celtic Johnny Kenny and Liam Scales of Celtic Johnny Kenny and Liam Scales. Photo IMAGOAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJohnny Kenny, who is the subject of transfer interest from Bolton and Millwall, will sit this one out as he is still not fully recovered from the knee injury he suffered in the closing stages of last season at Bolton.Cameron-Carter-Vickers though is now back to full fitness and could feature. Arne Engels should play after Martin O’Neill revealed that he knew nothing of a Nottingham Forest big arriving for the clubs record signing.Not much point doing a predicted team but we can expect multiple changes at the interval, so we’ll get the chance to see if there are any standouts from the Celtic B team.Martin O’Neill has been impressed both by his players and the Portuguese weather over the past week.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“The players have worked hard, the weather’s been fantastic and it really, genuinely couldn’t have been better,” the Celtic manager told Celtic TV, now known as CelticPlayer.Midseason Friendly, Tolka Park, Dublin 7/7/2026 Shelbourne vs Celtic .Celtic manager Martin O’Neill. Photo IMAGO“The players have done really well. We’re down to one session now but the double sessions have been great and hopefully, it’ll stand them in good stead for the rest of the season,” MON said as reported by the official Celtic FC website.“There are things that we can definitely improve on – we should be able to do that for a start – and there are things that we did reasonably well last season as well too. So, it’s a matter of combining both, I think, as much as anything else.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMartin O’Neill and the players at his disposal are all looking forward to this evening’s match against Sporting CP who like Celtic, have many players missing due to their World