Valgaeren set to return for Boavista

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has been boosted by the news that Joos Valgaeren should be fit in time for the UEFA Cup semi-final against Boavista.

The Parkhead defender picked up what looked like medial knee ligament damage during Belgium’s defeat at the hands of Croatia at the weekend.

That sparked fears that Valgaeren was set to miss the remainder of the season, which includes the vital championship run-in against Rangers, as well as their UEFA Cup double-header against Boavista.

However, a statement on the club’s official website, www.celticfc.net, said: “The Belgian defender will undergo a scan later tonight in order to quantify the exact nature of the injury, but club doctor Roddy McDonald isn’t anticipating any serious problem.

“Celtic’s medical team have had a look at the injury and the prognosis at the minute is that Valgaeren has tweaked his medial knee ligament.”

Valgaeren is likely to miss out on Sunday’s trip to Dens Park to take on Dundee in a league game, but he should return to action for the first leg of the UEFA Cup tie against the Portuguese side on the 10 April, according to the club’s official website www.celticfc.net.

That will be a massive weight off O’Neill’s mind following a trying couple of months which have seen several vital players pick up injuries at a crucial stage in the campaign.

His other concern was goalkeeper Rob Douglas but he travelled with the rest of the Scotland squad for tomorrow night’s crunch Euro 2004 qualifier in Lithuania, despite carrying a slight thigh strain sustained in the weekend win against Iceland.

But other Celtic players on international duty this week are Bobo Balde, Momo Sylla, Stilian Petrov, Henrik Larsson, Johan Mjallby, Paul Lambert, Jamie Smith, Jackie McNamara and Colin Healy and O’Neill will be hoping they come through their respective games unscathed.