Injury clouds clear

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CELTIC'S injury woes were today easing further with the news that Marc Crosas is closing in on a comeback.

The Spanish midfielder has been out of action for almost a month with a hamstring problem after limping out of the SPL victory at Inverness.

But the former Barcelona man has begun running again, and is setting his sights on featuring inside the next fortnight.

With Georgios Samaras and Shunsuke Nakamura both returning last night in the 3-0 cruise over Kilmarnock at Parkhead - a result that saw the champions surge four points clear of Rangers at the top of the SPL - boss Gordon Strachan is getting his numbers back up at a crucial time.

Dutch defender Glenn Loovens should be available again soon, while hopes are high that Artur Boruc and Aiden McGeady will be ready for the crucial Champions League trip to Aalborg in just 12 days time.

"I'm much better," said the 20-year-old Crosas. "I hope to be in the team in the coming weeks. I don't know if next week or another one, but I hope early.

"I'm working with the physio. I saw the doctor the other day and I'm running."

Crosas's injury struck just as he had begun to establish himself in Celtic's midfield.

"It was difficult for me because I started to play," he said.

"I found good form and I played good games and now I need to begin again and start from zero.

"Now we have important matches. When I'm injured, all the games are important and I want to play."

The midfielder also revealed he had been monitoring rumours former Barca team-mate Sylvinho, who claims he is being lined up as a January transfer target, although this has been played down inside Parkhead.

"I saw that in the newspapers and on TV," he said. "I think that he is a very, very good player. He has a lot of experience in Europe and in the big leagues.

"He's a very nice person too and he's a good friend of mine, but I don't know what's happening with him. I've not spoken to him recently."

Meanwhile, Celtic will be backed by their smallest ever away support in the Champions League when they go to Denmark for the Aalborg crunch.

The Parkhead club have been handed just 800 tickets for the match in the 10,500 capacity Nord Arena.

Celtic have urged fans without tickets not to travel and a spokesman said today: "We would, as always, ask supporters without tickets for the game not to travel.

"We understand their frustration because of the small number available. But this is one of the smallest stadiums we will play at and our allocation is over the required five per cent."