Celtic defender Kirstoffer Ajer has recovered from a head knock sustained at Dens Park on Sunday afternoon and expects to feature in a major week for Norway. The 20-year-old will be back in the Mestalla in Valencia as Norway play Spain before he prepares for a Scandinavian derby against Mikel Lustig's Swedish side. “Norway have two European Championship qualifiers this week,” Ajer told the Celtic View. “The first is Spain away and then we face Sweden at home. They are two really tough games but they are very exciting to be a part of.
“Spain away will always be a very difficult game. They are one of the best teams in the world so we’ll need to be very organised and disciplined to take something from the game.
“Sweden did excellent in the last big tournament. They are a strong side and will be wanting to win themselves. To play these two teams is a fantastic achievement for me and I’m really proud to be involved.
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“Spain have exceptional players all over the pitch. We aren’t concentrating on them though; we just think about ourselves. We’ll be playing them at the Mestalla so I’ll be back in familiar surroundings. It’s a fantastic stadium and a beautiful pitch to play on.
“Three days later is the big rivalry up north in Scandinavia. To play Sweden at home is a special game for the whole country. Hopefully I can beat the Swedish guy in the Celtic squad!
“It’s a rivalry between not just myself and Mikael but the two countries. I’m really looking forward to that one. My whole family are coming so it’s a big occasion for everyone. I haven’t been saying too much to Mikael before this. They probably look at themselves as favourites but that suits us perfect.”
Meanwhile, Ajer is optimistic that Celtic will finish the season with a strong contingent as a number of key players prepare to return from injury. Tom Rogic and Olivier Ntcham are expected to resume training this week. Rogic has not played since being injured at the Asian Cup with his country back in January while Ntcham has not played since the defeat to Rangers at Ibrox at the end of December. Celtic host Steven Gerrard's side immediately after the international break and Ajer is looking forward to welcoming them back into the squad.
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“We’ve had some injuries in the team and this is something all teams have to contend with,” said the defender. “The team has coped well throughout that time and we’ve continued to get results.
"One of our biggest strengths is the quality of our squad. We have a good-sized squad with players training every day at a high level.
“Whenever anyone gets the chance they’re always ready and that makes a real difference in helping to maintain the current form in the team. All of the players in the squad have shown that they’re good enough at this level when they come into the team.
“We have some important players coming back now which is important as we come into the final stretch of the season.”
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