‘SECURITY NOT AN ISSUE,’ ALLAN

Hoops fans have been advised not to use the city’s metro system after a pipe bomb exploded at a station on Tuesday, injuring five people.The Foreign Office currently rate the terrorism threat in Turkey as ‘high’. More than 100 people were killed by two suicide bombers in the capital Ankara in October.

Celtic will also be the first British team to visit the country since MPs voted earlier this week to approve air strikes on Islamic State targets in neighbouring Syria.

Allan, though, is adamant those factors will not prey on the minds of the players.

He said: “I think for us it is just a football match. We don’t really look into that. We should be safe. It is a game for us and that is it, basically.

“It’s European football and these are the games you want to go and play in. Obviously, there are lots of circumstances going on just now, but we just need to apply ourselves and do our job over there.

“We go to play football. When it comes, the boys will look forward to it. Fenerbahce is a big club. There will be a great atmosphere. It is our job to go over there and play and we will just get on with it. Hopefully we can get a result over there as well.”

Celtic’s hopes of reaching the last 32 in the Europa League were obliterated by the 2-1 home defeat against Ajax, which left them rooted to the foot of the section.

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