Post by Taxigirl on Nov 27, 2003 9:32:50 GMT
Celtic will be without wing-back Didier Agathe for the decisive Champions League match against Lyon in a fortnight.
A draw in France will be enough to ensure Celtic make the knock-out stages of the tournament, but manager Martin O'Neill will have to do it without both of his first-choice wide midfielders, with Alan Thompson suspended.
Agathe limped out of the goal-less draw with Bayern Munich after an hour and a scan on Thursday confirmed that he had strained his left hamstring.
It is thought the injury will keep the Frenchman out for between four and six weeks.
While the news makes Celtic's task in Lyon harder, O'Neill has insisted he will not adopt negative tactics in an effort to win the solitary point required.
Celtic's draw with Bayern Munich, coupled with Anderlecht's 1-0 win over Lyon leaves the Glasgow side on top of Group A.
But the section could hardly be tighter with Celtic, Lyon and Anderlecht all on seven points and Bayern just one adrift.
The Germans host the Belgians in the final round of matches.
"A draw would get us through," confirmed O'Neill after a bruising tussle with Bayern at Celtic Park.
"I'd take it now, but how do you play for a draw? It's impossible.
"We'll have to go over there and be positive and look for a goal.
"But we've given ourselves a chance of going through and it's in our own hands going into the last game."
A draw would leave Celtic on the same points as Lyon but O'Neill's side would progress thanks to the 2-0 win over the French champions in Glasgow.
"Even if we had won, the Anderlecht score meant we were guaranteed nothing - except a certain Uefa Cup place," O'Neill went on.
"This group is so tight and the match in Lyon will be an epic struggle.
"They're a brilliant side on their own patch."
The stalemate with Bayern was Celtic's first draw in the Champions League and was the first time in six home games that maximum points eluded them.
The German side, who have won Europe's elite club competition four times, put up stubborn resistance and Celtic couldn't make the breakthrough.
"It was a magnificent performance against a top quality side," O'Neill said.
"We dominated the first half but didn't create as many chances as we did in the last two (home) games.
"But it speaks volumes for how far we've come that a team like Bayern were celebrating like they'd won the cup at the final whistle.
"It's disappointing not to win but we couldn't have given any more."