Manager's Mixed News on Mjallby

Martin O¡¦Neill today admitted that Johan Mjallby is edging ever closer to a first team comeback. The Celtic boss was among the spectators who watched the Swedish skipper turn out for under-21s at Airdrie¡¦s Excelsior Stadium yesterday, and was thrilled to see the big stopper stroll through a problem-free 45-minute run-out.

However, in spite of his evident delight at the progress being made by his star centre-half, O¡¦Neill admitted that Mjallby looks certain to have timed his return from injury just too late to make Saturday's Old Firm match.

Said the Irishman: "He (Mjallby) played for 45 minutes yesterday, which was what the doctor and physio had decided upon, and he¡¦s suffered no ill reaction from it. That¡¦s obviously good news and, while it¡¦s far too early to say when he¡¦ll be available for first team duty, it certainly looks very positive.

"Will he play against Rangers? Well, I suppose it will all depend on how things go before now and then in terms of our match at Easter Road tomorrow evening. But I wouldn¡¦t think he would be physically prepared for something like the Old Firm game.

"Anyway, the three at the back have done very well, although they¡¦ve been helped enormously by a rejuvenated Rab Douglas. As a team, I¡¦ve been very pleased with them. That¡¦s not to say to say we¡¦ve not missed Johan ¡V you¡¦ll always miss a player of his calibre ¡V but we¡¦ve coped better than I could possibly have hoped."

With or without Mjallby, the next few weeks promise to represent a massive challenge for Celtic¡¦s in-form players, with four successive away matches on the immediate horizon. However, while trips to face Hibs, Rangers, Celta Vigo and Killie all lie in wait for his Bhoys, O¡¦Neill insists the challenge is one everyone at the club should relish.

"These are exciting times for us," he said. "It¡¦s is a great week to be involved with the football club because there are some really big games coming up, starting with our visit to Easter Road tomorrow. There¡¦s an important cluster of games coming up ¡V we¡¦re looking at four vital away matches in a row ¡V and lots of things will happen between now and January.

Meanwhile, O¡¦Neill confirmed that the club have submitted evidence in his defence ahead of Thursday¡¦s UEFA disciplinary hearing which will decide whether he is to be punished for his conduct during last week¡¦s victory over Celta Vigo.

"I think it¡¦s all relatively straight-forward," he said. "UEFA have had the referee¡¦s report as well as the report from their observer in the stand, and now they¡¦re asking for our response to these. We didn¡¦t actually know what they said ¡V I think the allegation was ¡¥unsporting behaviour¡¦ ¡V but UEFA are basically looking for our comments. Those had to be in by today, and we¡¦ve made sure that we submitted them.

"I think the referee himself admitted that, once I was sent off, I left without any fuss. Now I¡¦m just hoping that common sense will prevail. There were a number of mistakes made by everyone out there, myself included, but I just feel that people should look at it in context."