Celtic have timely boost lined up as they prepare for Aston Villa showdown
Aston Villa welcome Celtic to Villa Park on Wednesday evening as the two British sides conclude their respective first phases of the new look Champions League campaign. Villa must bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat at Monaco last week and victory here would give them a strong chance of claiming a place in the coveted top eight.
Villa, currently in ninth, can still realistically - goal difference considered - finish as high as fourth with a win; they are on 13 points and beating Celtic will apply pressure to the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid above them. Celtic, meanwhile, have confirmed a top 24 finish - they've lost only one of their seven group games.
The Bhoys, who are ten points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table having taken 60 points from a possible 69, were given a weekend off after their game with Dundee at Parkhead was postponed because of Storm Eowyn. They'll come to Birmingham rested and recharged - and the squad will be boosted by a returning face.
READ MORE: Confirmed: Birmingham City complete third January transfer with another Rangers agreement
READ MORE: Kieran Dowell reveals why he left Rangers for Birmingham City and Chris Davies selling point
Celtic confirmed on Monday afternoon that they'd secured the signature of Jota, who has returned to Glasgow from Rennes in France. Jota left Celtic for Saudi side Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023, but things didn't work out for the Portuguese attacker and he moved to Rennes in the summer.
Jota rejoins Celtic, signing a five-and-a-half year contract, having scored one goal in nine Ligue 1 appearances, and after the club sanctioned the sale of Kyogo Furuhashi in the opposite direction. He is ineligible to feature at Villa, as Donyell Malen is, as new signings must be registered to their respective squads - something which is revisited between phases.