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| Tony Mowbray © Reuters |
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has been handed a fitness boost
ahead of Saturday's game against Motherwell as the Scottish Premier
League prepares to get under way again after the international
break.
The Hoops' gaffer had an injury headache before his previous
fixture against Rangers at the beginning of the month with a number
of first team regulars sitting out the 2-1 defeat at Ibrox.
But the international fixtures have afforded his stars a
two-week break allowing many to recover from their knocks and
strains and take their place in the squad to face Motherwell.
Midfielder Scott Brown was forced to pull out of Scotland's
friendly with Japan last weekend due to a niggling injury on the
ankle on which he underwent surgery in May.
But after a consultation with a Harley Street expert the
24-year-old has rested the ankle for the past fortnight with the
Celtic medical team optimistic this has alleviated the problem.
Another player close to a top team return is striker
Marc-Antoine Fortune.
The summer signing has been missing for the past seven weeks
after picking up an ankle injury in the Champions League defeat to
Arsenal.
However Mowbray hopes both players will soon be firing on all
cylinders as the Hoops aim to keep their one-point advantage at the
top of the SPL.
Rangers have the chance to put pressure on their rivals by going
top if they win against St Johnstone in the early kick-off game so
Mowbray knows he needs his best players available.
"I hope Scott is going to be okay for the Motherwell game,"
Mowbray said.
"We've been nursing him through the last few weeks and he needed
a break. We wanted to give him a rest and the specialist felt that
would benefit him too.
"That's why Scott didn't go to Japan and hopefully it will help
him over the coming weeks.
"Marc-Antoine Fortune is another player that we're assessing
closely and we hope he isn't too far away," Mowbray added.
"Marc had some rehab to do, but he's been back running on the
grass and things seem to be fine with him.
"He's looking fit and strong, but we'll move him on to twisting
and turning this week and then contact football before too long."
Australian international Scott McDonald had to pull out of the
Socceroos squad to face the Netherlands but should be back to face
his former club while full-backs Andreas Hinkel and Danny Fox are
responding well to treatment on hamstring injuries.
However, Mowbray won't face a dilemma over which central
defensive partnership will face Motherwell.
Glenn Loovens' appeal against a one-match suspension was
rejected so Gary Caldwell will return to partner Stephen McManus
against Jim Gannon's side, who are aiming to break into the top
four with a win at Parkhead.
In the early kick-off game Rangers travel to Perth to take on St
Johnstone. Walter Smith, too, will welcome back several players
with Lee McCulloch and Kevin Thomson both back in training.
Madjid Bougherra returned unscathed from international duty with
Algeria and Steven Davis and Kyle Lafferty are expected to be fit
as Rangers aim to build on their Old Firm victory.
The game has come too soon for American international Maurice
Edu as he continues his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury.
In Saturday's other fixtures Aberdeen host Hearts, Dundee United
face Hamilton, bottom club Falkirk take on St Mirren while
third-placed Hibernian welcome Kilmarnock to Easter Road.
Fixtures
Saturday
Aberdeen v Hearts
Celtic v Motherwell
Dundee United v Hamilton
Falkirk v St Mirren
Hibernian v Kilmarnock
St Johnstone v Rangers
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