Mikael Lustig targets points for Celtic

The Sweden international has been getting his first taste of Christmas in Scotland with a training session followed by an overnight stay in Tayside ahead of this evening’s clash against Dundee. Lustig welcomes the traditional aspect of the holiday programme, but he has been troubled by a hip problem and missed the 4-0 victory over Ross County on Saturday.

Therefore, the two weekends off from Clydesdale Bank Premier League duty after the 2 January visit of Motherwell will allow the former Rosenborg player to recharge his batteries as Celtic challenge in four  competitions.

“It’s coming at the right time,” Lustig said. “Most players need it. It’s been a lot of games and there are some important games in February and the whole of next year. So it’s perfect timing. I prefer to get some days off. It’s a lot of games in the UK and it’s probably one thing that people who watch football like, especially on Boxing Day. It’s tradition and I think they should keep it.”

Despite his fitness concerns, the 26-year-old has no problem keeping going for the next three games.

“Especially now when we are winning, it’s quite easy,” he said. “When you are winning, you just want to play games and you think everything is fun, but of course, I feel a little bit tired and needed rest against Ross County.”

Celtic moved five points clear with their weekend win and Lustig is keen to keep their  recent consistency going.

“We don’t look so much at the table,” he said. “We just speak about the next game. We have won the last four in the league and we are hoping to get another win. It will be hard, especially away from home. It’s going to be a full house. They will make it hard for us.”

Manager Neil Lennon is also wary of Dundee and knows that a top-of-the-table clash can also bring out marked improvement from a team with a point to prove.

“It will be a cup final for them, but I suppose every game is for them really,” said Lennon. “They have nothing to lose against us and there is no expectation level for them either, so their players, like most teams, will try and raise their game for us. It’s a very dangerous game.”

Dundee were the beneficiaries when the demise of Rangers left a vacancy in the SPL, and this season has been difficult for manager Barry Smith as his side try to cope with their unexpected elevation to the top-flight.

Lennon noted: “They were thrown in and it was pretty difficult for Barry. He didn’t have a lot of time as he was basically preparing for the First Division. He is a good young manager and they have done okay.

“They haven’t detached themselves from everyone else but they will need to get some sort of momentum, a couple of wins to try and put a bit of pressure on everyone else above them.”

Celtic’s routine win over Ross County has seen them push five points clear at the top of the SPL, but Lennon rejected assumptions that the champions will widen the gap with each passing week.

“I don’t expect us to pull away, but I expect us to kick on,” he said. “We are playing well at the minute and had an excellent second half on Saturday. With the likes of James Forrest coming back to the team, he gives us an extra dimension as well.

“The players have acquitted themselves brilliantly so far and we are halfway through the season and obviously we would just like to keep that going now. Whether other teams can stay with us, I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like Inverness are letting up, while Aberdeen had a good win at the weekend, so the league is still very vibrant.”

Dundee manager Smith, meanwhile, has hailed his  opposite number for working wonders this season.

Smith said: “Neil has done a marvellous job at Celtic and is a great example to younger  managers. The Celtic job is a high-pressure job and he’s coped with that.

“Every job has pressure but at Celtic the expectation is higher, so to do what he’s done has been remarkable. It has not all been easy for him. He had setbacks early on but has come back from them a stronger manager.

“Celtic have come a long way under Neil in the last year or so. Any team that gets to the last 16 of the Champions League is a formidable opponent. We are the underdogs so nobody bar the lads in our dressing room gives us a chance.

“We know we’re capable of giving them a game. We have  belief in ourselves.”

Dundee are without on-loan defender Lewis Toshney, while Nicky Riley is injured and Iain Davidson will miss out through suspension. The bottom side are already without Davide Grassi, Mark Kerr, Stephen O’Donnell and striker Steven Milne, so once again Smith has major injury problems.

One of Dundee’s main tasks will be curtailing Gary Hooper, who hit a double against Ross County – his 50th and 51st SPL goals for Celtic – and Dens Park winger Ryan Conroy knew the Englishman was destined for stardom the first minute he set eyes on him at Parkhead.

Former Celtic signing Conroy caught a glimpse of Hooper  following his switch north of the Border from Scunthorpe two years ago and was convinced even then he was going all the way to the top.

Conroy said: “I played with Scott Brown and know Charlie Mulgrew from growing up at Celtic, but the likes of Gary Hooper had arrived at Celtic  before I left, so I was training with these guys.

“You could tell straight away that Hooper was class and it’s no surprise at all he did so well. He’d scored a lot of goals down in England and you could see he was a fantastic finisher.

“He’s been doing it in the Champions League as well as the SPL and that has brought him to the attention of England.

“If he’s doing it in the Champions League then there’s no doubt he’s worth a shout for England.

“He’s still young. There are teams around Europe looking at him and no wonder because of his scoring record. He’s a great striker but Celtic have loads of quality players, so while we’ll have to stop him we can’t focus on one person too much.”

Dundee face a Celtic side who are relishing the prospect of going head-to-head with Italian giants Juventus in a February Champions League showdown, but until such times Conroy is sure Lennon will have his troops fired up to try and wrap up the SPL title. He added: “Celtic’s players will be looking forward to the Juventus game, but they know that it’s still a while away and until then they’ve got to focus on the league.

“They maybe got distracted when the group stages were on, but now they have sorted that out and have been winning games.

“You don’t get any easy games against Celtic and just now they have really picked up and are flying, but we don’t need any motivation. We’re at home and we’re desperate to pick up the points.”

Mikael Lustig targets points for Celtic – then a break