Shaun Maloney believes Martin O’Neill has an outside chance of being in the dugout at Kilmarnock after being released from hospital on Thursday.

The veteran Celtic manager needed to undergo a minor medical procedure this week but is now recuperating at home.

Reporting that he found the 74-year-old to be on ‘good form’ when he visited him after he was discharged, assistant manager Maloney feels it’s not out of the question that O’Neill will be stationed beside him in Ayrshire as Celtic’s title defence continues.

‘Yeah, I went to see him last night, so it was really positive,’ he said. ‘He got out of hospital yesterday.

‘He was in good form last night. Loads better than he was Monday, Tuesday. Hopefully, that continues.’

Asked when he felt O’Neill might return to work, Maloney added: ‘No, no timeline. So, even for the game at the weekend, it’s a sort of day-to-day. We saw him last night with regards to the preparation for the game. So, he wasn’t in today.

Martin O’Neill has been released from hospital after undergoing a minor procedure

The 74-year-old Celtic boss could recover in time to be in the dugout for Sunday’s match

‘I’ll speak to him this afternoon and then he’ll make a call for tomorrow. And then I’d imagine he’ll make the call (for the match).

‘If it’s this weekend, great. If it isn’t, then we’ll prepare for it without him.’

With O’Neill at the helm, Celtic got their season off to a winning start on Monday with a one-goal win over Dundee.

The manager made it clear afterwards, however, that he needed reinforcements on top of the signings of Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh.

The club are believed to be closing in on a deal for Egyptian winger Haissem Hassan.

Celtic have been negotiating with Real Oviedo for the past fortnight with the clubs close to striking a deal which would see the player arrive for a fee which could eventually rise to £10m.

With O’Neill and chief executive Michael Nicholson taking the lead on recruitment matters, Maloney doesn’t feel Hassan — or any other target — will arrive imminently.

‘I don’t see any ins or anything like that this weekend,’ he explained. ‘The manager’s the main voice, the main call.

‘I think this season our responsibility is when the recruitment team come with their lists of players, it’ll be all the staff who’ll watch and give our opinion when asked. The manager will always have the final call. That’s how we work.’

With Daizen Maeda one of a dozen players to leave the club, Celtic supporters have been frustrated at the time it’s taken to rebuild the squad.

‘I think that’s fair, but I think probably everyone in the club would say that,’ said Maloney.

Celtic assistant Shaun Maloney may take the team for the Kilmarnock clash on Sunday

‘As a coach or as a manager, you always want these players as quickly as possible. We’ve done probably over 40 sessions now in pre-season, so you’d love them on the very first day, but you’re also realistic. In an ideal world, yes, but I think we also have to work with the squad that we have.

‘We’ve got really good players and then when the new ones come in, you try and integrate them as quickly as possible.’

Celtic have been handed a major boost with the return to training of Jota. The Portuguese winger missed the entirety of last season with a cruciate ligament injury he sustained when Celtic clinched the 2024-25 title at Tannadice.

While O’Neill has previously earmarked October as a potential return date for the player, Maloney feels the sight of him back out on the grass is a significant milestone.

‘Yes, it’s really positive for us. I’ve never worked with him,’ he said. ‘I’ve watched him, obviously, but we’re all excited to get him back. He’s still a matter of weeks, but it is really positive.’