According to reports, Kris Commons is not going to take part in the champions League qualifiers. He has fractured his foot in an incident involving a wardrobe door.

We can exclusively reveal the truth. you see, Kris and a pal decided to sneak out for a beer…

It’s only two weeks tomorrow until the campaign starts, and the friendlies begin in just 24 hours…

Celtic face Dutch side Den Bosche, which translates as “The bosche ” thus paying homage to those amongst the support who miss the games against Rangers, which translates as Der Hun.

Someone who is keen to be involved is Stefan Scepovic, the striker who has taken a while to settle in Glasgow, but does tend to score goals when he gets a start.

Supporters will be keen for Scepovic to do well, as there are rumours that Celtic have offered £900,000 for Nadir Ciftci, the Dundee United liability, who some say fits the criteria required by Ronny Deila as a striker. Hopefully, Ronny  isn’t thinking that way, and it’s just paper talk.

Though it did make the pages of the Dundee Telegraph….

Scepovic explained what the problem was with adjusting to life in Scottish football;

 “Wherever I have played I have always scored goals or helped with assists, but it has been hard adapting to Scottish football.

“There are many long balls and this has been a shock to me. I spoke with the manager Ronny Deila and he told me he knew that it would take me a season to adjust.

“Football in Scotland is very physical and there is another issue which is also a problem – Celtic are the biggest team and everyone wants to scrap or win one point against us. 

“We always have to score early because otherwise our rivals will just close the door on us.

“The referees have difficulty in removing their cards from their pockets. For it to be a yellow card, it has to be a strong tackle and the red card rarely comes out.

“All players want to play, obviously, but when you come to a club the size of Celtic, then you have to get to know the team, its country and its people.

“I was frustrated because I wasn’t playing, but after my conversation with the coach I understand it won’t just happen for me overnight.

“It’s a matter of adapting and having continuity. I take comfort from the fact I scored two goals in four games in the Europa League.” 

“You never know in football, but the Celtic coach and people at the club have told me they have faith in me.

“They knew last season wasn’t going to be easy. I’m a Celtic player and I am only thinking about doing things right here.

“In the future, you don’t know what will happen, but right now I am focussed on playing for Celtic.

“Last season, I arrived after Maribor beat us – the goal this year is to be in the Champions League Group Stages. We are a very big team and should be there.”  

Hang on, why hasn’t he mentioned Rangers ?

Oh, here it comes …

 “Rangers did not get through the play-offs. The people here are very fanatical about the Glasgow derby and it is known throughout the world

“In our league, we lack a team like Rangers to have rivalry with us.

“But we did play them last year in the Cup in the National Stadium and the atmosphere was amazing  

This is perhaps the most blatant use of the policy to include them in every possible story to keep their profile high. Scepovic could hardly be asked if he missed them, so instead, a comment on how he enjoyed the League cup game, and how amazing it was.

More than likely, he sat there wondering why a second rate team was getting all the attention it does.

We’ve seen players take time to settle in the past. Scepovic has shown he can score goals, and he does have an excellent positional sense. There is more to come from him if he gets a chance, but he will have to battle to shift Leigh Griffiths from the team, although Griffiths all action style will wear down European defenders, and if that leads to them making mistakes, poacher Scepovic could be the man to grab the vital goals, especially away from home.

Whatever way you look at it, he deserves a chance ahead of someone like Ciftci. There is hope, though. Middlesborough are looking to bid £1.7m.

You will have noticed that the monday deadline for Jelle Vossen to make up his mind on a move to Celtic has passed….could it have been a load of er, paper talk ?

Who cares ? Don’t forget about this guy, because if he does do what he says he’s going to do, then we might not need anyone else anyway;

Great to see all the lads back at training today. Going to get myself in the best shape Iv been this year and make it a big one

Captain Scott Brown is confident ahead of the Stjarnan game, largely because he maintains that the players will be ready;

“Every game you have to treat the same. The league is always the priority and we have to continue that run of form that we’ve been on. But the UEFA Champions League is huge for this club and that’s where this club should be and that’s where we’re aiming to be this season.

“When we play in the UEFA Champions League, home or away we always give it a right good go. We’ve done well in the past and hopefully we can do the same this season.

“The coaches give us great feedback and we watch so many clips and we’ll know how they play and we’ll do that in the coming weeks.

“This is just the first day back and we’ll be getting used to the touch of the ball. My touch doesn’t get much better after two weeks off.

“We’ll be working on our shape and working on how we’re going to play against them and in the friendlies as well. 

“The first UEFA Champions League qualifier is always hard, because they are five or six weeks ahead in their season but hopefully our quality will shine through.” 

“There’s a way that the gaffer wants us to play, he wants us to play football, he wants us to press, he wants short sharp movements and everyone’s went along with that. We’re staying at Lennoxtown this close season so we’re not travelling abroad and getting jet lagged or missing a couple of days here and there.

“We’ll get as much training as possible before the UEFA Champions League and we’ll be ready for them.” 

I’m with Broony. We’ll be ready.

The midfielder also spoke of his aim this season, to win a treble;

“The one ambition I have left at Celtic is to go and get the Treble. Everyone talks about it, we were so close last year, and it would be great to do it.

“One decision pretty much cost us a cup final place last season when we would have had the chance to do it. We are getting closer but we need to really go for it this season.

“The semi-final still sticks in my mind because there were five officials and none of them seen it. It’s amazing, that. But five of them had a view. Brilliant.

“I think it was just hard to take. Especially with the decision because we would have gone in 2-0 up at half-time if we had scored the penalty. They would have been down to 10 men and it would have changed the game. 

“But these things happen and you have to deal with it. You have to go on to the next season. It’s a new start for us and we have to do what we done, but get past that semi-final stage.”  

After the Ireland game we mentioned that Aiden McGeady had been out and about with Charlie Mulgrew, sparking talk that he may be coming back to Celtic. Mostly from us, to be fair, but an Everton website has added a wee bit to the story…

Rumours are circulating that Everton winger Aiden McGeady has handed in a transfer request and could be heading back to Celtic this summer.

The 29 year old joined Everton from Spartak Moscow last January but has struggled to fight his way into contention for a regular first team spot.

Having made just 33 appearances – mostly from the bench – McGeady is thought to be desperate for first team football and a return to his former club looks likely to be in his thoughts.

Making almost 200 appearances for Celtic in his first spell there, he was a fan favourite and his move to Russia made him the most expensive export from Scottish football.

A move to the Premier League had been touted for some while, and former Everton boss David Moyes almost signed him before leaving for Manchester United.  Martinez sealed the deal, but McGeady arrived looking overweight and never managed to force the manager into playing him regularly.

We also hear that his Mustang motor car has been transported from Liverpool to Glasgow, although to be fair, that was more likely a suggestion from the insurance company.

If Mcgeady does return, there’s talk of getting a striker in tall enough to get to his crosses..

Think there’s nothing in it ? Well, explain the delivery of the new Ronny Bus then…

Right , wee quiz here. Who is Paolo di Canio talking about here… ?

‘Because he was one of the worst players I have ever seen in a football match. He is a player like the others.

‘Why can’t we change the goalkeeper? Is the goalkeeper is an element who plays on with another team because he has a different colour on his shirt? I know my players, I know Wes – he was the crappy player even against Stoke.

‘Today what he did, it’s not only the mistake that can happen to everyone. The arrogance later, when he started moaning to the others, that was the worst thing for me because it let me realise that a player doesn’t recognise his mistakes that was clear miles away, that was a rubbish mistake.

‘I said to him “now calm because we have to keep going”, we give the ball straight away to them and then start again moaning to the others.

‘Today he started behaving as the worst professional; arrogant, ignorant in some way – not as a person, as an athlete – I have ever seen.

‘If he doesn’t come out and say sorry to the fans, for the professionalism in general, he is out from my team. I don’t want any argument from the fans ‘we play Oxford, we have a season’ – no.

‘I don’t mind because this is my rules and [Leigh] Bedwell did very, very well. Maybe he behaved like this because the window’s closed. Another question mark.

‘I’m ready to bring in a goalkeeper. I’m ready to ask my chairman if he doesn’t go out and say sorry to everybody because this has to come from the stomach and from the heart.

‘If he doesn’t think he made a mistake in the way he behaved he has to think who he is? Cech?

‘He was nothing until the day he joined me, not the club but me. He didn’t have one second as a professional, nobody wanted him because he’s 181cm. In English football everybody want 199 like the f***ing Preston goalkeeper.

‘He should have his career cut and you know that is true, but just because we believed in him and there is no importance in that because he is very good – thanks to him because he did well last year – he forgot everything. He is arrogant, he’s still 20. He thinks he’s untouchable.’

That’s right, Paolo , never short of an opinion, launched this  remarkably vicious verbal attack on his own goalkeeper Wes Foderingham after substituting him after just 21mins against Preston at the weekend.  

Wonder what happened to the poor lad ?

Rangers in talks with Wes Foderingham as Mark Warburton

looks to add former Swindon goalkeeper to his squad

• Wes Foderingham is a free agent after leaving Swindon Town
• It is thought the goalkeeper has met the Rangers management in Glasgow
• Mark Warburton also lining up a deal for right back Reece Wabara 

Perhaps he can see something di Canio couldn’t.

It’s a Justin whittle -Gary Holt-Wayne Biggins moment for the Ibrox fans. That’s where they are at the moment, and perhaps credit should be given to them for operating within their means, after finally realising that they have no money, they are not an attractive option for any decent players, and they are a long way from the top of Scottish football.

Yesterday, the draw for the Petrofac Cup gave them an away tie at Easter Road. Thier opening four league games are St. mirren at hme, Alloa away, Hibs at home, and QOS away.

Warburton could very well find out that the high pressure world of international financial trading is a quiet Sunday by the fire compared to the hordes finding out he’s not actually all that good.

The papers continue to talk him up, but not one has mentioned that all of the signings are out of contract players, and no fees are involved. If they cannot aford a fee, then they will have to pay a signing on bonus, which is going to test the bank balance even further, unless they miraculously shift another thirty thousand or so season books. It can’t be going well, or we’d know all about it by now.

Warburton though, ably aided by Chris Jack, of the Evening Times, is optimistic;

“Any trophy we go into, and it doesn’t matter what it is, we go in to win it.

“That’s the right thing to do, and if you don’t do that, it’s a weak mentality.

“We’ve got a good programme leading up to the start of the season, so it’s imperative for us to prepare well and we look forward to the game. 

All those friendlies, for instance. We hear they’ll organise some as soon as they have enough players.

“The boys are back in and are training well. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but their mentality and approach so far has been outstanding.”  

“We’ll prepare the same as we would any other game,” 

Er, what other games ?

“Obviously we respect who we’re playing every single time, but it’s not going to change our focus or our preparation. We’ll get ready the best we can every single time we play.

“It’s really important from our perspective that we don’t prepare any differently. Our mindset has to be the same for every game that we go into, and we have to recognise that if our standards drop, we’ll have a problem. 

He’s repeating himself, isn’t he ? Probably in an effort to convince himself he knows what he’s doing. And that the players are up to it.

“It’s really important that we set our standards exceptionally high, prepare well for the game and then take that on to hopefully delivering a good performance. 

See ?

“I’m not going to turn around and say I have an in-depth knowledge of Hibs, but my knowledge is decent. 

He is aware they are from Edinburgh, where the big hill and castle is.

“I’ll look at their games in the coming weeks, but it is about us. Yes, we’ll do our homework, but it is about us looking to impose ourselves on every game that we play.”  

He does know it’s their first competitive game, doesn’t he ? On July 25 ?

Seriously, I hope he only brought an overnight bag north with him. It looks like it’s all he will need.

I thought yesterdays picture quiz was quite difficult, but , as usual , within minutes Karen McKee had the answer. O’Connell, Irvine and MacGregor were the three.

Alright then; comments and thoughts on this picture.

I thought you had to be seventeen to get a licence ?