The once-bitten Celtic head coach Jozef Venglos yesterday fought shy of suggestions that off-field concerns may disrupt his team's European ambitions for a second and final time at FC Zurich today. The UEFA Cup second round return leg in Switzerland stands at 11 with Celtic anxious to avoid a repeat of their Champions' League qualifier exit to Croatia Zagreb earlier this term.
The build-up to that match was dominated by the Celtic players' protracted win-bonuses dispute, a distraction made painfully irrelevant by a dismal 3-0 loss in Zagreb.
Now Celtic face the potential irony of being led out onto the field at the Stadium Letzigrund by Paul Lambert who is reported to be at odds with general manager Jock Brown.
With captain Tom Boyd suspended after an opening leg red card and his natural replacement Craig Burley also banned, Venglos will allow the players to vote for their own stand-in leader.
If Alan Stubbs can recover in time from a groin problem to take his place in a makeshift defence he could well be skipper, but failing that Lambert is known to be his team-mates' choice.
Venglos insists there is no prospect of the apparent rift between Lambert and Brown being of any significance and instead preferred to highlight the depleted nature of his squad.
He said: "I will take no questions on this matter, but I have feelings, I don't think there is a problem which will affect the quality of performance in the team."
A final verdict on whether Stubbs plays will be made this morning, but already without Marc Rieper (ankle) and Enrico Annoni (hamstring), Venglos would appear to have few options.
The clear temptation, with minimal alternative cover, will be to gamble on the former Bolton centre-half, but Venglos stressed that would not be his gameplan in Zurich.
He explained: "Alan had light training yesterday and I hope he will be 100 per cent because he is an experienced player which is needed in such a game."
If the match proves too soon for Stubbs then utility man David Hannah is likely to deputise in a match where, with fitness concerns at the back, Celtic badly need their frontmen to fire.
While Henrik Larsson continues to impress, there is an over-reliance on his contribution as Norwegian Harald Brattbakk struggles to justify his place.
One man certain to start tomorrow is Phil O'Donnell, who has himself been plagued by injuries for much of his time at Parkhead, as a direct replacement for ineligible Norwegian Vidar Riseth.
FC Zurich coach Raimondo Ponte promised a positive approach from his side as he conceded the tie is far from won despite a vital away strike a fortnight ago.
