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Will Jota's Celtic injury comeback be fast tracked as Shaun Maloney reveals recovery plan for returning hero The Portuguese winger has returned to light first-team training at Lennoxtown after 16 months injured Celtic might be ready to push the button on a new winger. But Shaun Maloney reckons Jota will feel like a brand new signing when he finally makes his long-awaited comeback. The Portuguese star has taken a major step after returning to light first-team training following an agonising 16-month injury nightmare. And he could soon be joined by Real Oviedo wide man Haissem Hassan, with the champions closing in on an initial £6million deal for the Egypt World Cup star. Jota has been sidelined since a devastating ACL injury in April 2025 and still has weeks of work ahead before he can return to competitive action. Martin O’Neill had previously warned fans not to expect the 27-year-old back until around Halloween. But Maloney is hopeful Jota can beat that timeline - and rediscover the electric form which once made him a £25m player. He said: "Yeah, definitely. It might take a bit of time and hard work. He's definitely putting in the hours. He looks really strong. He's got every chance. I think it might take a bit of time. "Cameron Carter-Vickers had a really bad injury. He was out for eight or nine months, but he had the full pre-season. "So, we'll have to try and do something similar with Jota to give him the best chance. There's absolutely no doubt that he can do it." On his return timeline being accelerated, he said: “There is a fair bit to this. It’s one thing coming back to training this week with no contact. "Then you have to become free in the next few weeks and build up that tolerance to it. We then have to create friendlies for him too. “By the time you see him on the pitch for the first team, there will have been a few hurdles to get over. “Hallowe’en or November might not be a million miles away. I would hope that it’s earlier for the guy’s sake, but I’m not really sure when it will be. “Hopefully it will be quicker because he has accelerated in the last few weeks but I’m not really sure." While Jota’s comeback is being carefully managed, Celtic are continuing to splash the cash on a revamped attack. O’Neill has already spent £17m on a brand-new frontline, with record signing Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran checking into Parkhead. And Hassan, 24, is set to be next through the door as the Double-winners continue their slow but ambitious transfer spending spree. The prospect of Jota joining the new arrivals in a frightening new-look attack will have Hoops fans licking their lips. But Maloney hinted right winger Hassan could be the final addition to the wide areas this summer. He said: "On that left side, when Jota comes back, you'll have Tounekti and Yang. Yang obviously played there in the last game. I really like Yang off the left. Yeah, it's really strong. "So, on that left side, when Jota's fit, we're really good. On the right side, it's slightly different. "We need to replace the profile that we lost in Nicolas Kuhn or the club lost in Kuhn, because when you've got that sort of left-footed winger, you can attack differently." Maloney knows exactly what Jota is going through after suffering the same hellish knee injury during his own playing career. And he admits the club must be patient with the ex-Benfica youth as he gradually builds himself back up. He said: "I think maybe from our side you have to just temper it slightly. I think for Jota himself, I wouldn't want to stop any sort of positivity because it has been that difficult for him. "I think it's just really slowly building him into training. Today he did every drill, but not every drill was contact. "So, it worked out for him. He's still going to be a good few weeks, not two or three. It's a matter of weeks for him to build up, get into training, full contact. "But it is really positive. I know it's positive for the boy, it's positive for us and obviously his support. I've never worked with him, but when I've watched him, he is very, very good." Jota completed the majority of his rehabilitation back home in Lisbon, but Maloney revealed Celtic’s coaching staff have remained in regular contact throughout his long road back. And he was full of praise for the medical team who have helped guide the player through one of the toughest periods of his career. He added: "The medical team are really important. As can happen in longer injuries, he's got a really good connection with the physios. "They're probably the more important than us. I think constant communication with them has probably helped. "And the boss as well. I think we've all been on Zooms with him when he's been doing his rehab in Portugal. Fozzy is the most positive guy in the world. He's been really, really good with him. "But also Martin. Martin's been really, really good with him in terms of constantly being in communication. "That's all peripheral stuff. I think the main guys that he's relied on is the physical and the medical team. The medical team and him have really been inseparable. "They have to take any sort of credit rather than us - every week or once a fortnight speaking to him. These guys have been on daily communication with him. I think the last couple of weeks have been really positive."