Friday 29th October 2004

12.00

MAJOR BLOW FOR HOOPS AS SUTTON IS RULED OUT

Celtic were this afternoon dealt a major blow when Chris Sutton was ruled out for the next few weeks with a strained muscle in his chest.

The influential utility man sustained the injury in laying on the first of John Hartson’s two goals last night and it was confirmed following an ultrasound earlier this afternoon that it will require him to sit out a number of the club’s forthcoming matches, including next week’s vital Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Martin O’Neill, confirming the news to the Celtic website, said: “We’re obviously very disappointed as this is a big blow, but it’s one we’ll all simply have to recover from.”

Friday 22nd October 2004

10.20

Jim McInally has been confirmed as the new manager of Morton.

The former Nottingham Forest and Dundee United midfielder has been the youth development coach at Celtic for a number of years.

Morton have been searching for a new boss since the sacking of John McCormack last month.

McInally will take charge of the team for the first time for the Bell's Second Division clash with Berwick Rangers at Cappielow on Saturday.

Wednesday 20th October 2004

14.25

CELTS ON THE HUNT FOR ALL THREE POINTS.

Chris Sutton has echoed the words of Martin O'Neill by saying Celtic will be going all out to win tonight's Champions League meeting against Shakhtar Donetsk.
 

Neither the Hoops nor their Ukrainian counterparts have taken a point from their opening two games and O'Neill and his men are well aware only a win this evening will keep their European hopes alive.
 

The back-to-back matches against Shakhtar will have a significant bearing on where Celtic end up in Group F when the dust settles after the opening phase of the Champions League and the Hoops plan on approaching tonight's encounter in an attacking vein.
Sutton said: 'We don't know much about them other than that they've played well this season and they had Milan on the ropes for quite a while.
 

"But what we do know it's going to be a very tough game and I would imagine they will start as favourites.
"If we're realistic about going through - certainly in the Champions League - we'll have to go and win the game. If we're determine enough, and we play well enough, I would hope that we could do that
"If we go out there looking to stay in the Uefa Cup, a draw wouldn't be a disastrous result, but I would hope we would be looking for more. It will depend on our ambitions, and how well we play."
Celtic haven't won an away Champions League game in the last seven attempts, but Sutton isn't wasting much time fretting over that statistic.
 

"It doesn't bother me," Sutton told the Celtic View. "I'm not happy with it but we haven't had the best of luck in quite a few games.
 

"We've made mistakes, but that's not something we dwell on. We won plenty of away games in the Uefa Cup in recent seasons so I'm sure it will come.
"You just go out and play your best and there is no disgrace in losing in Milan."

Monday 18th October 2004

16.00

FITNESS WOES FOR HOOPS BOSS.

Martin O'Neill has concerns over the fitness of defenders Bobo Balde and Joos Valgaeren ahead of Wednesday's game against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Neither player was involved in the win over Hearts at the weekend.

They both travelled with the squad to the Ukraine on Monday and will be given every chance to prove their fitness.

Chris Sutton was used as an auxiliary defender against Hearts and will be deployed there again if the injured pair fail to make it.

Tuesday 12th October 2004

14.00

AGM

Tomorrow  is the day for the club's AGM at Celtic Park, I'm sure there's bound to be some heated debate with regard to Peter Lawwell's comments in the media over the last few days. If the media is to be believed it looks as though hoops boss Martin O'Neill will have no further funding to give us a badly needed stronger squad in the January 2005 transfer window.

Saturday 09th October 2004

15.00

Celtic goalkeeper Magnus Hedman is considering a return to Sweden - and could be tempted to move before the end of his current contract.

Hedman, whose current deal ends in 2006, is third choice behind Scotland's David Marshall and Rab Douglas.

"It depends on what happens during the season, " he told Hedman told Swedish newspaper Sportbladet.

"If I don't find anything interesting then I will stay with Celtic and then move home to Sweden."

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill paid £1.5m to Coventry City for Hedman in 2002.