Rieper on course for cup final

Marc Rieper is on course for a place in Celtic's League Cup final line-up on Sunday after a week of intensive treatment

Marc Rieper is on course for a place in Celtic's League Cup final line-up on Sunday after a week of intensive treatment. The 29-year-old Danish central defender took a back seat in the 40 defeat of Dundee United in a dress-rehearsal of the Ibrox showdown last Saturday, as he was suffering from a calf injury.

That cast doubts on his ability to play this weekend, but the signals are becoming more positive with each passing day.

Rieper was able to do some running on Wednesday and stepped that up yesterday by training alone, with physio Brian Scott monitoring his progress.

Italian defender Enrico Annoni will almost certainly retain his place if Rieper runs out of time.

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Scotland midfielder Paul Lambert, struggling with a hamstring injury, is expected to be fit as Celtic aim to end a 15-year famine in the competition.

But Jansen says he is more concerned about forward planning than recent history.

"I can't live in the past," he said. "Winning the trophy is what is important, not so much for me, but for the club.

"We will prepare for the final in much the same way as we do a league game, although this time we will train on Saturday and stay at a hotel.

"I know this will be a difficult match, even though we defeated United 4-0 last weekend.

"They will have a different attitude and will concentrate more on Sunday, of that I am sure."