Mowbray expects players to step up

Tony Mowbray is expecting a “professional performance” from the fringe Celtic players he will use in tonight’s meaningless Europa League game against Rapid Vienna.

With neither club able to qualify from Group C, the Hoops boss plans to rest some players ahead of Sunday’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League trip to Hearts.

The 700 or so Celtic fans who will make their way to the Ernst Happel Stadium, which will be close to its 50,000-capacity, could see players like Mark Wilson, Chris Killen and Paul Caddis make rare appearances with others like Stephen McManus, Niall McGinn and Marc-Antoine Fortune, who have mostly been on the bench in recent weeks, also starting.

Celtic, though, have won their last four games and Mowbray is looking for standards to be maintained.

“I have picked the team in my mind,” he said.

“And, if we do decide to go down that route (resting players), we expect a professional performance from the team. We are here to win the football match, to be positive.”