Celtic FC Women kick-off their first competitive outing of 2025 this weekend, as they return to action against Partick Thistle on Sunday.

Following the conclusion of the winter break, the Ghirls will be gearing up for the first match in the SWPL since December 22.

A lot has happened since that 5-0 win in the capital, with Elena Sadiku’s squad enjoying some time off over the Christmas period, before jetting off to Gran Canaria for a five-day training camp in Spain.

Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s match at New Douglas Park, the Celtic boss insisted that the time spent out there was extremely valuable, giving the squad a chance to work on the training ground.

She said: “The past week out in Gran Canaria has been good. It has just given us the opportunity to get back together.

'It allowed us to get away from the cold in Glasgow, too! But it’s allowed us to train and focus on our principles.'

“Obviously, we had a friendly game which was very good for us, just to be able to get the best preparation possible before we play against Partick Thistle on Sunday.

“So it’s been an intense week, with a lot of information, and we’ve been able to work on things like team building, with the players being together for a long time.”

With a return to league duties on the horizon, the Hoops take on Partick Thistle this Sunday aiming to start the year with a win.

After rounding off 2024 with a five-star performance, Sadiku will be hoping to see her squad put in a similar performance as they get back from the recent winter break.

“Our main focus is going to be focusing on us and what we are doing,” she said. “We know that when we put in a great performance, that is going to be how we approach the game.

‘We know that when we perform the best football that we can, we are an incredible team.’

“Partick Thistle have always been a team that is compact, and they fight. They do well in the transition, so we already know that about them.

“But the approach for Sunday’s game is that we need to focus on what we need to do and do it the best way possible.

“When we do that, I think that it is going to be a great game for us.”

Elena Sadiku: Time on the training pitch will be so valuable heading into first game of the year