Celtic Wait On Injured Commons

Photo by Jeff Holmes Celtic assistant boss John Collins claims the Hoops have not given up hope of having Kris Commons fit enough to face Inter Milan. The Parkhead side host the Italian giants on Thursday as the Europa League knock-out stage gets under way. But attacker Commons is struggling to make the round of 32 first-leg clash with a hamstring strain. Ronny Deila's right-hand man says the former Scotland forward has made some progress, but insists the Norwegian will not risk him ahead of the San Siro return a week later if there is any concern the injury could be made worse. Collins said: "Kris has trained the last couple of days but they have not been full sessions. "But as every day goes by we are monitoring him. He will do a little bit more tomorrow, so we will see how he is tomorrow. "I'd say his chances are about 50/50. "It's a hamstring injury but it was only a slight one. You still have to be careful. We've got lots of games coming up. Yes this is a hugely important one and we'd love for Kris to be available but it would be daft to push him and risk further damage." Inter have had a frustrating season, winning just eight of their 23 Serie A games so far to leave them lingering in ninth place - 22 points adrift of leaders Juventus. But Roberto Mancini's side have picked up the pace recently after ratting seven goals past Palermo and Atalanta on their way to back-to-back wins. Celtic, meanwhile, are also enjoying their best form of the campaign, with Saturday's 2-1 win over St Johnstone in Perth their eighth triumph on the bounce. They have taken a dramatic turnaround since infamously crashing out of the Champions League twice in the same season after an administration blunder by Legia Warsaw handed them a second chance at qualifying for the group stages. Now six months on, Collins hopes the Hoops can show just how far they have come under Deila by shooting down the Nerazzurri. "We're up against a very good side that is hitting a bit of form," said the former Celtic midfielder. "It looks like the manager is getting his ideas across to his players. "So we'll be tested, that's for sure. But we're in a good place at this moment in time. "Our players are doing their job all over the pitch working as one unit and looking sharp. We haven't been conceding while at the same time we've been creating lots of chances and scoring goals. "As a coach that's what you want from your team. "Was it always going to take time for that to happen? When you come in you want it to happen as quickly as possible but you have to be realistic. The most important thing is that we've seen gradual progress. "We were disappointed with the early European results but this is a chance for the players to show that we have made progress." And Collins insists Celtic's Norwegian boss will leave no stone unturned as he plots a victory over the three-time European champions. He said: "Ronny is very, very thorough in his preparations. It's all about the finest details with him. For me, that's his biggest asset. He leaves nothing to chance." Thursday's Celtic Park fixture could also mark former Dundee United double act Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven's European debuts for their new club. And Collins insists the pair are more than ready for the challenge, saying: "From the minute they stepped on to the training pitch they have showed up very well. Against Partick and Saints, they have played well, so they will be ready. I have no doubt they could step on to the European stage." But the Hoops coach laughed off reports that Mancini would make use of Old Firm rivals Rangers' Murray Park training base ahead of the tie. Asked whether he was concerned, he said: "No, of course not. I'm sure Rangers will be doing everything to make sure a Scottish team gets a good result. "I'm not surprised that Rangers would allow Inter to use Murray Park. It's a terrific facility. It's nothing to do with us."