Keane and Dublin need more games for medals

CELTIC’S older statesmen Roy Keane and Dion Dublin are struggling to make enough appearances to guarantee themselves Bank of Scotland 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 has only just started jogging again after a hamstring injury and is four matches short of reaching the required number to automatically land a medal.

Dublin, who is two years older than his 34-year-old team-mate, also notched his sixth appearance on Wednesday night and might have a better chance of getting another four games if he can steer clear of injury.

The SPL will announce the post-split fixtures over the weekend and then decide when Celtic will be presented with the silverware.

Meanwhile, Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell wants Keane and John Hartson to lead the club into the Champions League next season, while he’s hoping Arsenal come a cropper against Villarreal.

Hartson intimated he could leave Parkhead in the summer after hitting the goal against Hearts which guaranteed Celtic the title.

The Welshman still has a year remaining on his contract but plans are in place to sit down with the striker and his agent to discuss his future in the coming months.

“We will sit down with John in the next couple of months,” said Lawwell, who pointed out that Keane also has a year left on his contract.

“There has been a lot of speculation around that but we’re hopeful.”

Lawwell added that Celtic would only make the Champions League group stages automatically if this year’s winners qualified directly from their league.

“We’ll be cheering on Barcelona or AC Milan as they look like qualifying,” he said. “Hopefully, that won’t annoy Arsenal, but we have to be self-centred.”