Ronny Deila Puts Parkhead Pitch Fears Aside as Celtic Face One Home Game in Next Eight Matches Published on 30 December 2014 Ken McNab eveningtimes.co.uk ---------------------------------------------- RONNY DEILAS concerns about the condition of the Celtic Park pitch are about to be put to one side. THE Hoops will only play at home ONCE in their eight matches between now and February 19, when Inter Milan come to Glasgow on Europa League last 32 business. They travel to Firhill on Thursday and Kilmarnock on Monday before heading to Gran Canaria for a mid-season break (where friendlies against PSV Eindhoven and Sparta Prague await). To fit this in, they have postponed the home league match against St Johnstone. Celtic were also due to play Killie at home on January 31, but this game has been postponed as the Hoops face Rangers in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden the following day. The Scottish Cup-tie against Dundee is another away day, along with the trips to face Hamilton, Ross County and St Johnstone in the league. That leaves the match against Motherwell on Wednesday, January 21 as the only time they will play at Celtic Park in the next seven weeks. It should at least mean the bobbly Celtic Park pitch has plenty of time to recover before Inter arrive for the first leg of their Europa League tie. Deila accepts his players will simply have to accept circumstances are dictating they will see little of the Celtic Park dressing room in the next couple of months. He can even see an upside, and said: For us, there is nothing different between playing home or away. Sometimes there are better chances for us away because the other team wants to attack more as they are at home. So I am not worried about having so many of our games way from Celtic Park in the next few weeks. . . WHEREVER they are playing, Deila is hopeful he will have several key men back in contention to help the Hoops regain their winning form after a defeat to Dundee United and a draw against Ross County. The busy treatment room is beginning to clear, and the manager reported: James Forrest should, hopefully, be back for the next game, against Partick Thistle on Thursday. He had taken a knock during the game against Dundee United. It wasnt anything serious, but we didnt take any chances with that for the game against Ross County. Jason Denayer is making progress, but we dont know if he will be ready for the Thistle game. Mikael Lustig is also moving forward, and he is not too far away to be considered for this one. Beram Kayal is ready to return after being out for almost a month, and Wakaso Mubarak could also come into contention after being forced to take time out following the insertion of several stitches in a head wound sustained during a Development Squad game. However, Anthony Stokes has now joined the walking-wounded list, after limping off just five minutes into Saturdays draw. Deila added: He picked up a calf injury. We hope it is just a small thing, but we will have to wait and see. Hail Hail ~ 45 #CelticFC (Johnniebhoy)
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:36:57 +0000
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