CELTIC Manager Ronny Deila has confirmed that both Leigh Griffiths and Nir Bitton will be fit to play in Celtic’s crucial Champions League qualifier against Qarabag on Wednesday.
Griffiths scored an early penalty earlier today against Ross County before limping off with a calf injury.
Wednesday’s Man of the Match Bitton was substituted in the 1-0 victory at Celtic Park against Qarabag after picking up an injury, but like Griffiths the midfielder will be ready for Celtic’s huge European challenge in Azebaijan.
Today’s win, according to the Celtic manager was a game of two halves with Celtic playing well in the first 45 minutes, scoring two goals and being in total control of the match. However Delia was less satisfied with the second half, describing it is ‘a poor performance’ before insisting that ‘it will be totally different on Wednesday’.
‘It will be a different side’ reflected Deila shortly after today’s final whistle. ‘The players are ready for it and are looking forward to the match.’
Delia was non committal on the decision taken by today’s referee Willie Collum to produce yellow rather than red for Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Despite the Ross County player going away from goal and Virgil Van Dijk covering the goal-line, the media will be all over this over the weekend claiming that Collum should have shown a red to Craig Gordon.
Deila didn’t want to get involved saying that to was ‘hard to say’ whether it should have been a red card and accepting that it was’ a tough decision’ for the referee.
Tough, yes and correct, yes. That’s all we ask.
Wednesday’s match against Qarabag will be shown live on BT Sport Europe. The match has a 5.30pm kick-off.
