Stokes set to leave Celtic on loan

Celtic assistant manager John Collins has revealed Anthony Stokes will go out on loan but insists his career at the club is not necessarily over.

The Republic of Ireland forward has been frozen out of manager Ronny Deila's plans this season - he has played only twice - and was recently suspended for two weeks for tweeting his dissatisfaction at being left out of the squad after travelling to Inverness.

Caley Thistle manager John Hughes, who bossed the 27-year-old at Falkirk and Hibernian, has enquired about the possibility of teaming up with the player again.

Collins claimed several clubs are interested in Stokes. He also confirmed 23-year-old Romanian right-back Andrei Peteleu of Petrolul Ploiesti and 17-year-old Norwegian midfielder Kristoffer Ajer of IK Start are on trial at Lennoxtown, and that former Parkhead midfielder Aiden McGeady would not be returning to the Hoops from Everton. Asked if allowing Stokes to leave on loan signalled the end of his career at Parkhead, Collins said: "It signals it for the rest of this season if he goes on loan.

"But you never know in football. The door is always open. The manager and Anthony have decided it would be good for him to get some game time.

"There has been a relationship with those two (Hughes and Stokes) before, they have worked well with each other in the past so it might be a good place for Anthony to go.

"There are other teams interested as well but we won't force him to go where he doesn't want to go, it will be his choice.

"He has to go away, score goals and play well, that is what football is all about.

"His attitude lately in training has been very good so hopefully he has turned the corner. But he needs games."

On speculation that McGeady could return to the club where he started his career, Collins said: "I don't think it was realistic. He is a Premier League player on Premier League wages.

"We have always got to be realistic. We have budgets and there is a big gap between the Premier League and the Championship and our league. I would rule that out, yes."

Collins, speaking ahead of the William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Stranraer at Stair Park on Sunday, revealed little about the two new players at training.

He said: "We have two trialists in, we are assessing them and they will be here for the week and they are both doing fine.

"The manager knows (Ajer) very well, he knows all about Norwegian players. It is early days yet."

Celtic fans will see only a slightly more familiar face in goal on Sunday.

Belgium international Logan Bailly, signed in the summer from OH Leuven, will take the place of Craig Gordon.

Collins insists he has no concerns in 30-year-old Bailly whose only appearance so far was in the 3-1 win over Dundee United at Tannadice last August.

"Logan has trained very well since he has been here," he said. "He is another terrific goalkeeper and we are very fortunate that we have two top-class goalkeepers.

"We don't want players who are happy to be on the bench and Logan is determined to push and fight for that number one jersey.

"Craig has that number one jersey, so he has that opportunity to show what he can do. He knows what is expected of him. I have no worries whatsoever."