Double blow for Hooper as injury puts him on sidelines

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: GROUP G: Celtic V Barcelona: Celtic Park, 7.45 RTÉ 2, Sky Sports 3:The Celtic striker Gary Hooper is facing the double blow of sitting out Barcelona's visit to Glasgow tonight and missing out on an England call-up due to injury.

Hooper, who has a hamstring problem, was set to join his club-mate Fraser Forster in the England squad for next Wednesday’s friendly against Sweden in Stockholm. The English FA is understood to have contacted Celtic about Hooper’s fitness but were handed a bleak prognosis by the Scottish champions’ medical team.

“I would say he’ll not play,” Neil Lennon said of Hooper’s chances of playing against Barcelona. “He’s very, very doubtful.” The England manager, Roy Hodgson, was reportedly due to attend the match with Barcelona but the suggestions yesterday were that he will instead head for Chelsea against Shakhtar Donetsk. Hodgson will name his party for Sweden tomorrow.

Lennon’s hopes of upsetting Barca have been undermined by fitness worries over Hooper and others. The Celtic manager has already ruled out Emilio Izaguirre, Lassad Nouioui and James Forrest while Georgios Samaras is a doubt.

Barcelona required a stoppage-time goal to defeat tonight’s opponents in the Camp Nou a fortnight ago, after which Celtic were roundly praised for their performance.

“I said at the start that I wanted to qualify so from that point of view my ambitions haven’t changed. It would be great if we could get something out of the game and if not then maybe we will need to get something from Benfica, or even win that one,” Lennon said.

Indeed, in the week Celtic are celebrating 125 years since the club’s inception Lennon offered a nod to history by saying a victory would rank among their best ever in Europe.

Barcelona are in the midst of their best start to a domestic campaign in their own, 113-year history. Victory in Glasgow would also guarantee Champions League progression with two group games to play.

“This is probably our most important game for what is left of this year,” said their manager, Tito Vilanova.

“If we win, it will then allow us to rest some players and use the youth team in the other games.” Vilanova could recall Gerard Pique, who has returned from injury, but Adriano will miss out because of a torn hamstring.

Guardian Service