Mowbray welcomes back Celtic´s walking wounded

October 17, 2009

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 (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated)

Saturday

Aberdeen v Hearts

Celtic v Motherwell

Dundee United v Hamilton

Falkirk v St Mirren

Hibernian v Kilmarnock

St Johnstone v Rangers (1230)

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: Aberdeen, ankle injury, champions league, Danny Fox, Dundee, Easter Road, firing on all cylinders, fortnight, Glasgow, Hamilton, harley street, hoops, jim gannon, kick off game, Marc, marc antoine fortune, Marc-Antoine, Maurice, medical team, midfielder, motherwell, Perth, point advantage, premier league, regulars, rivals, scotland, Scott, Scott Brown, scott mcdonald, Scottish Premier League, seven weeks, st johnstone, Steven Davis, strains, striker, tony mowbray, walter smith

Benitez defends Aquilani Liverpool deal

August 13, 2009

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez insists his 15 million pounds swoop for Alberto Aquilani will turn out to be a bargain despite concerns over the Italy midfielder’s fitness.

Aquilani completed his move to Anfield from Roma last week but will miss the start of the Premier League season with an ankle injury.

The 25-year-old has been hampered by injuries for the past two seasons, with his first-team outings in Rome severely limited as a result.

Aquilani’s lack of action has prompted fears he may not be able to withstand the strains of life in the physically demanding Premier League.

But Benitez is adamant Aquilani has just been unfortunate and will prove his worth over the duration of his five-year contract.

“If Aquilani was in a normal market he would cost 25-30 million pounds but because of the operation he had on his ankle he was a bit cheaper,” Benitez told the Daily Mirror.

“We have to wait for a month for him to be fit but he is a player we are signing for five years, not for five matches.

“He had a bad tackle and an operation and that’s normal he missed matches. It would have been the same with (Fernando) Torres or (Steven) Gerrard. That is why I don’t think his signing is a gamble.

“I was talking with a lot of people in Italy and people are saying it is a fantastic signing.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)