Payback time

Tony Mowbray gave his players some time off and is hoping they returned to their preparations for tomorrow’s game against St Johnstone with renewed energy ahead of an intense period. After Saturday, Celtic play St Mirren and Kilmarnock in the next seven days with the need to keep winning to keep the chances of lifting the SPL trophy alive. Mowbray said: "I have to make sure that everything is done properly and is disciplined. We have to make sure that the players are aware that we have their welfare at heart and are trying to make sure that they are in best frame of mind for football matches, as well as physically ready to play. There is always a balance there. You can't train them every single day and run them into the ground. They have to be happy and content with the preparation for football matches and sometimes, off the back of an intense run of fixtures and important games, it's not bad to relieve the pressure on them and get them away from the training ground for a few days."

Mowbray is expecting St Johnstone to provide a stiff test at Parkhead. The Perth side have their own agenda and, being only three points off sixth-placed Hearts, with two games in hand they will want to carry on winning after back-to-back wins against Falkirk and Aberdeen. Mowbray said: "They have different types of player and can play in different ways. Any team that is coming up from the division below us is going to need time to adjust and get used to the environment and St Johnstone seem to have found their feet. They've had some very good results over the past few weeks and will come to Celtic Park with confidence, having won their last couple of games."