Celtic

The Hoops have worked wonders in recent months as they managed to overturn Rangers’ (10/3 – SPL Outright) 15-point lead at the top of the table to go top of the pile, with four points being the difference if they can win at Tynecastle.

It’s the level of consistency that has been so impressive for Celtic after a slow start to the campaign, as they have dominated most sides from start to finish in recent weeks.

Gary Hooper (10/3 – First Goalscorer) has been the star striker for Celtic since his move from Scunthorpe United, however he has been backed up by decent performances from Georgios Samaras and Anthony Stokes.

Goals have not been hard to come by for Hooper and Stokes, who have 33 goals between them in all competitions this term, and Hearts will be fully aware of the duo.

It has not only been in the attacking areas of the field where Celtic (1/5 – SPL Outright) have looked strong, as the Old Firm side have only conceded two goals in their last five outings, which will be a worrying sign for a Hearts side who have been making headline for the wrong reasons this week.

The Edinburgh outfit continue to struggle with financial restraints off the field, with players reportedly not being paid on time and now a fresh court case against them from the Inland Revenue for alleged unpaid tax.

Considering their monetary woes, the Hearts players should take great credit for their performances on the field, as they currently sit in fourth place in the SPL table.

The Jambos find themselves six points off Motherwell and will be keen to close down the gap on the Steelmen before their trip to St Mirren on Saturday.

Hearts head into this match following a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone, in what was a frustrating afternoon for manager Paulo Sergio, who saw his side have a man advantage for the final 15 minutes of the game.

One bright spark for Hearts was the 23-year-old David Templeton scoring the opening goal of the game against the Perth club. The attacking midfielder is highly rated and Celtic will have to be aware of the threat he will pose on Wednesday night.

Czech midfielder Rudi Skacel (15/2 – First Goalscorer) is currently the club’s leading goalscorer this term with nine and he will also be looking to find a way through that sturdy Celtic defence.

Considering their form the Hoops are firm favourites to win Wednesday’s encounter at Tyncastle and it’s hard to see them not coming away with the three points.

Hearts have struggled for goals so a clean sheet for Celtic would not be surprising, as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table and go a step close to claiming the SPL title.

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Celtic

The new Bhoys chief is desperate to wrestle the SPL crown back from Old Firm rivals Rangers (11/10) this season, but he will have to do it without the winger on board.

Republic of Ireland star McGeady has moved to the Russian capital for a fee of £9.5m which should allow Lennon to draft in some replacements for the 24-year-old, with Bellamy wanted on loan.

The Wales international has been left out of City’s 25-man squad for the Premier League although Spurs are thought to be in the chase for him as well.

But Lennon still believes the loss of McGeady will be a big blow to loyal Hoops supporters.

He said: “I’m sorry to lose him, he is one of the entertainers in the game.

“We’ll probably miss out on his peak years but he came to us and said that he felt at the end of the season it would be better for him to move on.

“It’s difficult to stand in the way of someone who doesn’t want to be here.”

Lennon is hoping Bellamy’s relationship with the Celtic fans will help him land his man.

He added: “When you see someone of the calibre of Craig and the fact that he’s not in the 25 and he’s looking to go out and play football, then we feel it’s something that we can’t try and miss out on.

“We’ve been speaking to his representatives and we’ve been speaking to Man City.

“How far down the line we are will be down to Craig obviously.

“But the advantage we have is that, one, it’s not in the Premier League and, two, he has been here before and he enjoyed his time here and made a huge impact on the game up here and has a real connection with the supporters.”

Celtic kick off their Scottish Premier League campaign at Inverness on Saturday (Inverness 7/1, draw 16/5, Celtic 2/5 – 90 minutes).

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Lennon was installed as caretaker manager of the Bhoys until the end of the season when Tony Mowbray was sacked in March. And he is looking forward to being in charge of his first Old Firm encounter, having featured in over 30 as a player.

The Northern Irishman is aware that with Rangers already claiming the SPL title it means there is less at stake in the match, but he claims the pressure, build-up and hype surrounding the match is the same.

However, while Lennon claims he is treating the match the same as any other encounter, when asked if it would be extra special to win because they are facing Rangers, he said: “Probably.”

He added: “I want them to play well and give a good account of themselves. More than anything else, I want to win.”

Lennon played down talk that Rangers have a hold on Celtic at the moment as he feels there has not been much between the two sides so far this term (Celtic 5/2 To Win To Nil), while he pointed out that former Bhoys boss Martin O’Neill won seven Old Firm games on the bounce after losing his first four in charge at the club.

He added: “I think we are due a bit of luck. I don’t think Tony Mowbray had any luck at all throughout the course of the season.

“And we want the referee to call the right decisions, to make sure he gets them right.”

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Tottenham

Capello has seen his options down the right side of midfield cut by former captain David Beckham’s Achilles injury which has ruled him out of the finals in South Africa in a playing capacity.

Lennon has not featured for his club since December because of a groin injury but he is back in training and White Hart Lane chief Harry Redknapp has confirmed the former Leeds United youngster will make the bench at Manchester United on Saturday (United 4/9, draw 16/5, Spurs 11/2).

He said: “He (Lennon) is a top player. He won’t start but could be available if we need him for 20 minutes.”

Spurs currently occupy the final Champions League place and know a win will pile the pressure on fifth-placed Manchester City who kick off at teatime on Saturday at Arsenal.

But Redknapp will know he is in for a tough game given the fact United (11/8 Outright) need the points to overhaul Chelsea (4/7f) in the title race.

The Blues do not play until Sunday – at home against Stoke – by which time the Red Devils could be two points clear.

Spurs did United a favour last weekend by beating Chelsea 2-1 but a week in football is a long time and that will be forgotten when the two sides clash at Old Trafford.

Famously, Sir Alex Ferguson once referred to this stage of the season as “squeaky bum time” and the Scot concedes it takes a toll on managers at both ends of the table.

He remarked: “I don’t think the next few weeks keeps you healthy.

“It is not good for you but it is there. You have to accept there is pressure in life. I can deal with it.”

Ferguson added: “We just have to concentrate on our own job. If we do that we can let Chelsea deal with their situation.

“After tomorrow there are only two games left so games become paramount in terms of where you are in the league.

“We have to win. The players are aware of that.”

Ferguson has versatile defender Wes Brown back after a broken foot but Owen Hargreaves’ long-awaited comeback from knee surgery has been put on ice because of a calf strain.

Spurs are still without the Croatian duo of Nico Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka because of ankle problems but midfielder Jermaine Jenas has shaken off illness and Ledley King is also in the running as well.

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