Soccer:Celtic have been handed a major boost ahead of the Europa League clash against Udinese on Thursday after striker Gary Hooper declared himself fit. Hooper was forced off with a leg knock in the second half of Celtic's 2-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League win over Inverness on Saturday but he has quickly shaken it off.

Celtic confirmed that the striker would train as normal with his team-mates tomorrow and would be available for selection for Thursday’s Parkhead clash. Hooper said: “It’s going to be a big night and hopefully it’s a full crowd. The fans were great on Saturday and hopefully they will be the same against Udinese.

“They lift the players and get behind us and they’re loud, and they sing in their numbers. We needed them on Saturday and we will need them on Thursday to get behind us and lift us, and we will need to be at our best if we want to keep our run of games going and do well.”

Celtic’s win over Inverness followed an identical triumph over Ross County in the Scottish Communities League Cup and Hooper wants to continue bouncing back from successive defeats.

The Scottish club went down 2-0 to Atletico Madrid in Spain in their first group game in the Europa League before a 4-2 loss at Ibrox in the opening Old Firm game of the SPL campaign. Hooper admitted: “We want to do well in the league and in Europe and we want to try and win every game in every competition.

“Atletico Madrid was a tough game but now we are on our home turf and we can keep attacking, see what they’ve got, and go from there.” Celtic will be without the ineligible Badr El Kaddouri for the visit of the Italian side but Charlie Mulgrew can step in at left-back after serving a one-match SPL ban.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon will still be without the injured Emilio Izaguirre, Cha Du-ri, Scott Brown and Kelvin Wilson.