Keane in danger of missing out on medal

Roy Keane and Dion Dublin are struggling to make enough appearances to guarantee themselves Scottish Premier League championship-winning medals.

SPL rules state players need to have figured in 10 matches to make sure of a title gong, although they will look at any special case submitted by the Parkhead giants.

But the former Manchester United duo are the players most likely to miss out with six games remaining.

Keane, who has a Champions League and every major domestic medal from England, has only just started jogging again after another hamstring injury and he is four matches short of reaching the required number to automatically land one.

Dublin, who is two years older than his 34-year-old team-mate, also notched his sixth appearance last night in the 1-0 victory over Hearts and might have a better chance of getting another four games if he too can steer clear of injury.

An SPL spokesman said: "Ten games would take a player over the 25 per cent games-a-season threshold we have set in the rules. If the club wants to apply to provide medals for a player outwith that for special circumstances then they will apply to the SPL.

"The success of that will depend on the case. After the season is finished we will sit down and discuss that case."