Celtic's heart in the right place while Stubbs' away

Celtic captain Tom Boyd insists his team-mates will be determined to brush aside Hearts at Parkhead today for Alan Stubbs. The defender has been readmitted to hospital to undergo further treatment for the cancer he thought he had beaten and Boyd yesterday echoed the feeling of sadness in the dressing room.

"Obviously it's come as a shock to everyone concerned," admitted Boyd. "At this moment our thoughts are with Alan and his family. But the last time he got through this and I'm sure he will get through this next challenge again and we will all be rooting for him.

A routine check-up revealed the 29-yearold former Bolton defender had suffered a relapse from the cancer that affected him last July. The devastating news comes after Danish star Morten Wieghorst was rushed to hospital last month with a brain illness known as Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Boyd admits it is difficult for the team to concentrate on playing football as they look to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League. "You don't expect these things at a football club," said Boyd. The Scotland international, however, insists the Celtic players will be up for beating Hearts - because it is what both Stubbs and Wieghorst would want.

Boyd insisted: "Obviously we have got to concentrate on the game as much as we can and we will be doing that. Normally before the game we try focus ourselves on that, obviously it will affect the lads who are a lot closer to him a bit more.

"But we are all professionals here at Celtic and we will give it our all - I'm sure Alan would want that anyway."

Boyd will be auctioning a flag from this years Open at St Andrews - signed by Tiger Woods - at his testimonial dinner on Sunday. All proceeds will go to the Beatson Oncology Unit Trust at Glasgow's Western Infirmary - where Stubbs is undergoing chemotherapy.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has spoken to Stubbs and has revealed that the player is in good spirits despite the anguish. "He did it before and I'm hoping he'll do it again," O'Neill said. "I have spoke to him and he is very, very upbeat."

Meanwhile, O'Neill has hit back at Israeli international Eyal Berkovic and told him to "do his talking on the pitch". The former West Ham and Southampton playmaker criticised the manager for leaving him out of the side and misleading him to believe he had a place in his plans.

Berkovic has had to settle for a place on the bench with Lubo Moravcik producing some of his best form and the Celtic manager even hinted that those remarks have done his chances more harm than good.

"Players should do most of their speaking on the field," O'Neill said. "And it might not be the greatest time for Eyal to be making those comments because a manager lives a day by his results. And also the people he is not able to replace in the side at this minute are doing very well so that's the way it goes."

Hearts travel to Parkhead boosted by the return of striker Darren Jackson to the squad after he agreed to waive a clause in his contract.

Rangers manager Dick Advocaat reckons the rest of Europe have no idea just how tough it is to pick up points at places like Dunfermline. Advocaat is convinced the standard of the Scottish Premier League is under-estimated outside Scotland.

"If you play away games they are all battles," he said. "Abroad, nobody realises that. Every away game in this country is very difficult."

Advocaat still maintains it is pointless to write off the champions, despite the huge points gap between themselves and leaders Celtic. He insisted: "It is still such a long season yet everybody is talking about that. It's 13 points with one game in hand we have."