20.10.2013 02:15 h

Football: Forrest fires himself into contention for Ajax match

Ajax muss nach dem Champions-League-Spiel in Glasgow mit einer Strafe rechnen
Ajax muss nach dem Champions-League-Spiel in Glasgow mit einer Strafe rechnen

Celtic manager Neil Lennon says James Forrest could start against Ajax on Tuesday in their Champions League clash after scoring his side's goal in a 1-1 draw with Hibernian.

The Celtic winger, who has missed most of the season through injury and then a virus which saw him spend time in hospital, came on in the 27th minute to replace the injured Kris Commons against Hibs with his side trailing 1-0 thanks to Paul Heffernan's early goal.

The substitute was immediately involved as he rounded Hibernian keeper Ben Williams to create an excellent chance for team-mate Temmu Pukki to equalise that was blocked by Ryan McGivern after the Finnish forward dithered on the ball.

As the match petered out the Hoops appeared to be heading to their first defeat in the Scottish Premiership this season before Forrest fired in a leveller with a sensational strike in the 76th minute to rescue a point for the Glasgow giants.

The Scotland winger came close to rounding off an excellent individual performance with a late winner but his 88th minute volley was superbly saved by 'keeper Williams.

With the news that Commons may be ruled out of the crucial Champions League clash with Ajax at Parkhead on Tuesday, the return of Forrest is a welcome boost.

"It was a great goal and Forrest is a great player. Hopefully we can get a run of games out of him now," Lennon said.

"He came on obviously sooner than expected but he looks a lot stronger now. Against Motherwell (Celtic's last match before the international break) he was just coming off the virus and he had lost a stone in weight, so the ten days he's had have been great for him.

"We're just hoping there's no reaction to his rigours of today but he will definitely be in contention for a starting place because he's a wonderful player and a match winner as well."

Injuries to Adam Matthews and Mikel Lustig had meant 19-year-old Darnell Fisher was handed his Celtic debut at Easter Road and Emilio Izaguirre also missed out after picking up a knock on international duty.

Forward Commons has been added to the growing injury list and his manager said the initial prognosis wasn't encouraging.

"Kris now looks like he may miss the game on Tuesday which would be a hammer blow for us," Lennon said.

"More or less players know straight away and we got him off as quickly as possible.

"We'll just have to see how it is over the next few days but it doesn't look good.

"Even a hamstring strain rather than a tear you are looking at maybe two or three weeks. I haven't had the full diagnosis yet and we won't know until tomorrow when it settles."

Celtic are bottom of Group H having failed to pick up anything from their opening two Champions League fixtures against AC Milan and Barcelona.

Ajax are just a point better off than the Parkhead club going into their doubleheader and Hoops boss Lennon knows how important these matches will be to his side's hopes of emulating last season's run to the last 16 of the competition.

"They will have to recover quickly as it is a short period between the games but it is a big game in the context of the group," Lennon, who travelled to the Netherlands immediately after the Hibs game to take in Ajax's match away to FC Twente, said.

"If we are to have any aspirations of qualifying we cannot lose the game."