Gary Hooper
Gary Hooper will be fit and available for Saturday’s clash with Hibs.
Celtic finished the 6-0 Co-Operative Cup win over Inverness Caley Thistle down to ten men with the former Scunthorpe striker hobbling off into the dug out in the closing minutes.
Hooper was making his first domestic start of the season after tearing a calf muscle against Blackburn Rovers but Neil Lennon was pleased to report that there was no recurrence of that injury.
“Gary is fine,” Lennon told Channel 67. “He had a bit of cramp which is understandable with his lack of football over the last four or five weeks. He should be ok for the weekend.
“Possibly he’s a bit too brave for his own good but it’s a good sign that players want to play even when they are carrying a knock.
“Gary is that type of boy, he’s a strong boy, it’s testament to his fitness levels that he was out for so long and was able to play almost the full 90 minutes.”
Lennon added: “I watched Hibs at the weekend against Hamilton, it was a pretty even game but they have this monkey on their back about not winning at home for so long.
“I’m sure that they will get a result sooner rather than later. Hibs are always capable of scoring goals, they play a very attractive style of football and have matchwinners in Riordan, Nish and Liam Miller.
“It will be a tough game, the onus is on us. We’re at home, the confidence is high but we can’t get too carried away, we have to show the same attitude that we’ve adopted in the first three home games.”
In midfield and attack Lennon has various options with the Celtic boss keen to develop healthy competition for places.
He added: “We have good competition for places. I don’t want them to see it as direct competition to them.
“It’s not as if I’m dropping anyone, I’m picking teams for certain opposition. With the form of the players I haven’t dropped anyone, they’ve either been rested or I’ve rotated the team.
“I think that we have got good finishers now in Stokes, Maloney, Samaras and Murphy. There are goals from them and from midfield with Juarez, Ki and Ledley.
“That’s what we’re looking for, options from different areas and we have got Forrest and McCourt to come into the mix as well. ”
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