RONNY DEILA'S decision to wait to see if Nir Bitton declares himself fit for Sunday's QTS League Cup Final says much about both men - one is prepared to provide an opportunity and the other is sensible enough to take it.

The very fact that Bitton has come to be held in such high regard by the Celtic manager owes much to the 23-year-old being prepared to fall into line with his manager's wishes;

Bitton was one of the players that Deila took umbrage with when he first arrived at Lennoxtown.

Believing that Bitton was simply going through the motions, Deila pulled him aside and firmly laid what he wanted from the player on the line.

The same conversation took place with striker Leigh Griffiths, among others.

But what has impressed Deila about both Bitton and Griffiths is the manner in which they have been receptive to being told that they were not coming up to scratch.

Bitton has become integral to Deila's first XI - to the extent that in the build-up to the first cup final of the season the manager is prepared to wait for him to declare his fitness - while Griffiths has recently come in from the cold to stake his place.

Had Virgil van Dijk not won his case at Hampden yesterday afternoon and been cleared to play on Sunday, Bitton could have found himself slotting in defensively this weekend. As it is, his manager is hoping that he will be ready to assume his usual midfield role.

And the Israeli has become one of the players that Deila believes should be inspiring those around him.

"He has been working in the right way," said the Norwegian. "There were two things that I said to him at the very beginning - you have to be 100 per cent prepared for training every day and 100 per cent prepared for matches.

"He was not giving 100 per cent every day. He was not fit enough and he was not prepared enough in games and in training. He has been working in the right way, he has been very professional and he has got his chance.

"You have to be a good coach and part of that is getting them to respond to what you want from them. Some players are harder to get through to than others, and some respond quicker than other.

"With Nir, I explained what I wanted from him and he has been a great example of what can happen when you start working in the right way. He really wasn't doing that before in the first month that I was here at the club.

"He has not trained with us this week, but he is very determined to be fit. We hope that he will make it.

"It was the same thing with Leigh. He was not coming and giving all of himself in training and in games, but in the last few months you can see that it has changed. He has become a better player.

"He has become so much more professional.

"Leigh is coming to training prepared to work as hard as he can and he has been getting his rewards on the pitch."

Deila has been candid about his desire to claim a domestic Treble in his first season in charge at Celtic.

Sunday's game presents the first opportunity to take a step towards realising that ambition, but despite the magnitude of the occasion, Deila is taking it in his stride - for now.

Attributing his composed demeanour to the fact he has experienced so many high-profile games for Celtic now, he explained: "I am very calm. Maybe too much.

"Hopefully it will come on Sunday, but we have so many big matches you get used to it. If this had been a small club the cup final would be totally crazy.

"It would be all, 'who is going to sit here and what are we going to do with the supporters?' But this club has done it so many times it's very calm.

"We just prepare for what's ahead of us and I think we can feel in the atmosphere of the players there is a big game coming up. Again, we can reach one of our targets and that's important."

Kris Commons has resumed training this week, but Charlie Mulgrew is expected to sit out at Hampden, as is Adam Matthews and Mikael Lustig, who are all still receiving treatment.

However, with Van Dijk cleared to play after yesterday's tribunal, Deila's team selection is a bit more straightforward.

Yet, while the Hoops boss was satisfied that commonsense prevailed after the hearing, he does not believe that last weekend's ill-tempered game at Tannadice will have a bearing on how the QTS League Cup Final is played.

"It was the same against Rangers. If you lose your discipline there and get a red card you can lose the game," he said.

"I think we have been disciplined. On Sunday some things happened after a situation. Again, when something happens like that you must keep discipline and focus.

"So I expect my players to do that in every game now. If you stay on your feet things go well."

And, for all that Celtic were incensed that Calum Butcher had got off without punishment for his involvement in last Sunday's fracas as well as their irritation that Aiden Connolly's dive to win a penalty - converted by Nadir Ciftci - was also not penalised, Deila has no issue with the officials.

"I have not seen that it is a poor standard, I think it is okay," he said. "I have been more irritated by European refs than I have been by Scottish ones."