The reported injury recurrence to Henrik Larsson throws up more problems for Martin O'Neill ahead of Monday night's live TV Scottish cup tie with Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
O'Neill will now have to seriously contemplate a joint strike force of John Hartson and Chris Sutton. Sutton has been playing in defence lately in place of the injured Joos Valgaren but with no immediate replacement for Larsson it looks likely that Sutton will be forced forward and either Valgaren or Crainey coming in to fill in at the back. Valgaren has been rested recently to cure a chronic abdominal injury but O'Neill may be forced to risk him in what is a vital game.
O'Neill's other option could be to play Shaun Maloney up front alongside Hartson and keep Sutton in defence, however, Maloney's inexperience may rule this out as Celtic strive to reach the Scottish cup semi final stage.