Celtic boss Gordon Strachan is unsure whether Artur Boruc will be fit to face Shakhtar Donetsk.
Keeper cause for concern ahead of Champions League clash
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan is unsure whether Artur Boruc will be fit to face Shakhtar Donetsk after the goalkeeper pulled out of the 3-0 win over Aberdeen during the warm-up.
The Pole had a problem with his toes in training and felt unable to kick the ball properly as he prepared to play.
Mark Brown stepped in and had a comfortable afternoon as Celtic strolled to three Clydesdale Bank Premier League points.
The Hoops never looked back after Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed a 14th-minute opener and Aiden McGeady and Scott McDonald added to their lead.
Strachan was also without the ill Paul Hartley but the midfielder's availability for Wednesday's Champions League clash against Shakhtar is causing less concern than Boruc's fitness.
"When he (Boruc) warmed up he felt he couldn't perform so we had to change it," Strachan said.
"Brown didn't have much to do but I felt he was all right. His kicking was good, he was confident when the ball was rolled back to him so we were pleased with that."
When asked if the Pole would be back for the visit of the Ukrainians, Strachan said: "If he is there a minute before kick-off and decides he is all right then he will be fine.
"There is something wrong with his toes, he can't kick the ball properly.
Infection
"He has picked up something, a fungal infection or something like that."
A viral infection ruled out Hartley and Massimo Donati took his place.
"I took one look at him this morning and sent him back," Strachan said. "But hopefully that will be a couple of days' time.
The Celtic boss was delighted with the players who did play and hailed Scott Brown for a dynamic midfield display.
"They were terrific from the first couple of minutes to the last couple of minutes," Strachan said.
Brown, along with McGeady, kept Celtic moving forward when the game looked like petering out.
The Scotland midfielder had one superb break from an Aberdeen corner when he outsprinted Scott Severin before back-heeling the ball into the path of Lee Naylor, whose shot was blocked by Jamie Langfield.
Strachan said: "That run he had from his own half down the line was tremendous. But he wasted it by giving the ball to Nayls - he had absolutely no chance of scoring."
Scathing
While Strachan could joke, his opposite number
Jimmy Calderwood was scathing in his assessment of his side's defending.
Scott Severin failed to clear a corner which led to the opener and Jamie Langfield let the ball squirm out of his hands before McDonald's third.
"We didn't clear it properly for the first goal and Celtic got a massive lift," Calderwood said.
"The second one Chris Clark tried a square ball and got punished. And after the third minute of the second half, another stupid mistake.
"It's hard enough going to this place without giving goals away.
"I'm not taking anything away from Celtic, I thought they were brilliant. Some people were still moaning about it, I could tell Gordon was getting upset.
"But they put us under intense pressure and we couldn't handle it. We kept losing the ball."
