Celtic midfielder Oliver Abildgaard has been doing ‘extra training’ at Lennoxtown, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: McGregor injury

Ange Postecoglou looks set to be without captain Callum McGregor until after the World Cup. The 29-year-old suffered a knee injury in last week’s defeat to RB Leipzig, with Abildgaard replacing him in Germany.

Abildgaard has played just 74 minutes of action for the Hoops since joining on loan from Rubin Kazan in the summer, but it looks as if he is doing everything he can to be ready for Postecoglou in the coming weeks.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie was talking to Football Insider ahead of Celtic’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig.

He was asked how important it is for Abildgaard to step up in McGregor’s absence, to which McAvennie shared news of the midfielder’s extra sessions, labelling it as ‘great’.

“He has to.

“He has been there for a while. From what I hear he has been doing extra training to get him up to speed, which is great. Now is the time.

“He needs games, he got a good half last week. He has to play him whilst Callum is out. There are a lot of midfield players but the defence has been all over the place recently so he has to step up."

The Verdict: Start tonight?

Abildgaard played 22 minutes on Saturday against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, with Postecoglou opting for an extra attacking option from the off when it came to replacing McGregor.

The likes of Abildgaard, Aaron Mooy and James McCarthy were all on the bench, so one of the three will surely come in from the start this evening at Parkhead in a more cautious approach.

It’s good to see that the Denmark international is doing everything he can to improve at Lennoxtown, and his presence could come in handy prior to the World Cup.