| More injury frustration for Keane By
Richard Purden
 Just as Celtic’s
defensive nightmare seemed to be coming to an end Hoops fans were left
reeling with the news that Roy Keane could be out of action for as long
as two months after pulling a hamstring during training.
Gordon Strachan is now struggling to field a decent Celtic defence with
Bobo Balde on international duty and Stephen McManus on suspension.
Strachan said: “Big Stephen is suspended, Bobo is missing and Du
Wei is away. But we managed without three strikers for most of the season,
so I hope we can manage without three centre-halves.”
Strachan sounded quite defensive on the subject of Keane.
He said: “I don’t know if Roy’ll be alright. I hope
he is. We still have a decent team. We’ll get on with it.”
The failure of Chinese defender Du Wei who returned to Shanghai Shenhua
after his loan spell with Celtic turned into disaster was also a very
touchy subject. His only outing with the Hoops was a shocking 2-1 defeat
against Clyde in the Scottish Cup.
Strachan said: “It’s quite simple. The transfer fee was £700,000
and I think if I’d said to the money people here I wanted that amount
to spend on one of the back four who played at Clyde they would have laughed
at me.
“That money for one man would have been too much. I’d liked
to have kept him longer. I wanted to see him back on the field so he could
prove to himself and everybody else he can play football.”
As reported last week Strachan has made a progressive move by signing
a pre-season deal with Kenny Miller; the Celtic manager is keen to deflect
any press that aims to fire up Glasgow’s sectarian tensions.
Miller’s short spell at Rangers only saw 18 starts and 11 goals.
Strachan said: “I couldn’t gauge this deal’s effect
against Mo Johnston because I wasn’t here then.
“I would like to think we are more educated now but if someone goes
from Portsmouth to Southampton they get stick.
“Manchester City to Manchester United is seen as betrayal too. But
not one of the Rangers fans felt betrayed when they kicked Kenny Miller
out the door. His being an ex-Rangers player doesn’t enter my thoughts,
it didn’t affect them.
“I think it is irrelevant, you will get people who are negative
about it but if you search long and hard enough you will find these people.
“If there were three out there the media would find them.
“Everyone I speak to thinks it is a fantastic signing.”
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