MARTIN O’NEILL has dispelled fears Camilo Duran would miss Celtic’s Europa League opener against Ferencvaros at Parkhead tomorrow night.
The Colombian striker, who came off before the end of the loss at Ibrox on Sunday, created a stir when he failed to show up for training at Lennoxtown today.
However, O’Neill reassured Hoops fans the six-goal frontman, a £6million recruit from Qarabag in the summer, would be okay to face the Hungarians.
Quizzed on the absence of the player during preparations for the big game, the veteran team chief said: “Yes, he’s going to be available.
“He had to go down to London about a visa. I think he’s been picked up by the Colombia national side, so the only time he could do it was this morning.”
SMILES BETTER…Camilo Duran is ready to face Ferencvaros.
O’Neill is determined to kick off the Euro campaign with a victory in front of the home support and insisted: “We’re looking forward to it. The whole idea of trying to win the league is to get into European football.
“We were hoping it might have been Champions League, so that was a disappointment. However, the Europa League is still very strong and I’d like to get off to a decent start if we could.
“So, it’s just about balancing the side a wee bit between tomorrow and then Sunday, because it’ll be our seventh game in 22 days.
“I think any side playing in European football will provide us with problems and we just have to try and overcome them. It really is as simple as that.
“So, I don’t treat the game lightly at all. I’d like to try and win it if we can and it would be nice to get off to a good start if that was possible.”
O’Neill, speaking to CelticPlayer, continued: “I think they will be tough. They have some players in the side who are exceptional footballers and they will cause us lots of problems.
“But we hope, being at home, to try and get the crowd on our side as much as possible and try and win it.
“I want to try and get some points early on the board, so we’ll be striving for that.”
Looking back at the dire display at Ibrox on Sunday, O’Neill added: “The players are disappointed with the performance.
CHEERS…Kasper Hogh and Mika Baur celebrate the German’s winner against St Johnstone a week ago, the midfielder’s first goal for Celtic.
“We could have done better and I think we accept that. We were knocked out and we just apply ourselves now again for the league fixtures.
“We disappointed ourselves, we disappointed the fans and we just have to rise to the occasion. We’ve got two matches in which to do so before the break.
“The season will be tough. Tomorrow night will be tough and Sunday will be very tough, as well, and it’s up to us to find ways to try and win football matches regardless of who plays.”
O’Neill be hoping to witness the return to firepower from his side who relied on a strike from midfielder Mika Baur for their solitary goal in the last two games against St Johnstone in Perth and Derek McInnes’ club at Ibrox.
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