Hartson ruled out of UEFA final

Celtic striker John Hartson has been ruled out of Wednesday's UEFA Cup final against Porto with a back injury, the Scottish premier…

Celtic striker John Hartson has been ruled out of Wednesday's UEFA Cup final against Porto with a back injury, the Scottish premier league club's website has reported.

The Welsh international has not played since scoring against arch-rivals Rangers three weeks ago, but Celtic manager Martin O'Neill was hoping he would recover in time to face the Portuguese champions in the Spanish city of Seville.

"This is an absolutely massive blow, both for John and for the football club," O'Neill told the website.

"He's been absolutely immense for us this season, and has played a crucial role in helping the team to reach the UEFA Cup final. It's terrible news and I'm just so disappointed for him."