CELTIC stretched their legs this time last season to beat Aberdeen to the Premiership title by 17 points. Now, with a little help from Bard and Grete Homstol, they plan to do likewise. The specially-imported Norwegian husband and wife team, who class themselves as injury prevention, rehabilitation and performance specialists, now effectively head up the physiotherapy department at the Parkhead club with players being exposed to a rigorous course of stretching and deep muscle massage before and after training each day. The end result of this was a group of 23 first-team squad players on the training pitch at Lennoxtown yesterday, with centre half Jozo Simunovic one of the few exceptions still cluttering up the treatment room.

“Ronny wanted to bring something different to the table," said Collins. "So he brought in Bard and Grete and added to what we had. He made it bigger, it has grown, and the fruits are now there for everyone to see. We had 23 first team squad players on the training pitch today so that’s very pleasing. It’s what every club in the world wants."

While each player will have their own thoughts on what is best for their bodies, Collins reckons the Parkhead squad in general have bought into this novel approach. The poster boy is James Forrest, a player who finally appears to have reached an accommodation with his frame after years of muscle problems.

“There is a different approach, it’s more hands-on," said Collins. "There is lots of work on the muscles. It’s hard, painful stuff for the players every day. The medical staff are stretching them, getting deep into the tissue before and after training. They all have programs to do, before and after. It’s preventative stuff. That’s the secret. It’s about keeping them balanced and strong.

“With every player, questions change," the assistant manager added. "They ask ‘why, what’s the purpose?’. But you have to go with the flow and thankfully the change has been better. The proof is in the pudding. James Forrest hasn’t been injured for a long time, for example. The last thing you want is a treatment room full of injured players when you are paying them salaries and they’re not playing. So we try everything possible, every method, to avoid them. So far, it’s good news on that front."

Twenty-three first team players, with Simunovic on the sidelines and new boy Kristoffer Ajer set to arrive this summer, might be exactly what Collins is after, but it is hardly a recipe for dressing room harmony. After six months, Scott Allan is still waiting for his first league start, as is January arrival - after his loan spell in the Highlands - Ryan Christie. These are two of the finest technical players produced in Scotland recently but with on-loan Manchester City kid Patrick Roberts and Ajer looking likely to feature in next season's team, it could be now or never if they are to prove their worth before the Champions League qualifiers tick round in the summer. Little wonder that Collins admitted that certain nameless players would be moving on from Parkhead this close season.

"You can't have too many good players," said Collins. "But the hard part is keeping them all happy. At a football club you have 11 very happy players, they are the ones who start, seven subs who are a little bit disappointed, and others who aren't stripped who are really disappointed. But I would expect Christie and Allan both to feature before the end of the season, that is the challenge for them."

For now, though, a 24-year-old like Allan must simply accept he is not doing enough to break his way into the first team, a similar feeling to that experienced by Collins himself in his mid-30s at Fulham. "It is not a nice feeling," he said. "That was the most frustrating period of my career."

While some managers would prefer to run with a tighter squad, Collins argues that would leave Celtic light if crucial injuries strike. The case in point is the meeting with Ajax, where the likes of Scott Brown, Charlie Mulgrew, Nir Bitton and Stefan Johansen were all injured.

“The problem is we play so many games," said Collins. "So if you go with a lighter squad and then get five injuries, you are stuck for a few games and start thinking you should have kept another three or four players. The Ajax game proves the point."

The suggestion that Celtic are about to hit their stride and stretch their Ladbrokes Premiership lead was strengthened by Aberdeen's 3-1 defeat at Inverness, in a controversial match where the post-match talking point was referee Willie Collum. Collins was too busy taking Patrick Roberts and the rest of the Celtic development squad to watch that match but he feels the decisions even themselves up in the end.

"Aberdeen were everyone's favourites because they were on such a good run, but you never get an easy game at Inverness," he said. "We have got boys who have been over the course before, but questions have been asked of Aberdeen for six months so they have answered questions in the past."