A Celtic summer signing will miss Celtic’s trip to Falkirk on Sunday, despite returning to training this week and catching Martin O’Neill’s eye.

The 19-year-old midfielder Joel van den Berg is still waiting for his competitive debut following his summer move from PSV Eindhoven in a deal reported to be worth around £3.4million.

His return to training offered an encouraging update earlier this week, but O’Neill has confirmed that Sunday’s match, live on Sky Sports, will come too soon.

See the Celtic fixtures for 2026/27 for what comes next.

Asked whether Van den Berg would be involved against Falkirk, the Celtic manager said: [The Herald]

“No, he’s just come in.

“We’ll have a look, he did really well today in the training, but we didn’t train on the plastic surface, which we will do Saturday, and he is just back.

“But I think he’s definitely got a bit of potential.”

It means the wait to see what the Dutchman can offer will continue, although the manager’s assessment of his work on the training pitch is encouraging.

Van den Berg has had a frustrating opening spell in Glasgow. An injury interrupted his attempts to get started, and getting back among his teammates is only the first step towards earning a place in the side.

The fee inevitably brings expectations, particularly when Celtic’s midfield has been under scrutiny. Supporters want to see summer arrivals contributing, and there has been little opportunity to judge Van den Berg so far.

But he is still only 19. There is a difference between questioning the balance of Celtic’s recruitment and expecting a teenager returning from injury to immediately provide the answers.

O’Neill clearly sees something worth developing. His comments suggest Van den Berg has made a positive impression since coming back, even if he is not ready for this weekend.

The artificial surface is also part of the manager’s thinking. O’Neill has already indicated that it will influence his assessment of returning players, specifically mentioning Jota as someone whose involvement needs consideration.

Van den Berg’s omission does not change the immediate task at Falkirk. Celtic need a response after Wednesday’s draw with Dundee United, using the players already available.

The youngster’s next target is to build on a full return to training and give O’Neill a reason to bring him into the squad.

Opening the team picker…