Lukasz Zaluska needs competition, not the push, says Mjallby

JOHAN Mjallby insists Celtic are looking for a goalkeeper to compete with Lukasz Zaluska, rather than replace him.

Fraser Forster returned to Newcastle at the end of last season following a loan spell at Parkhead, and Celtic's very public quest to bring in another keeper has cast doubt on the confidence manager Neil Lennon has in the Pole, who had a comfortable game in Sunday's 2-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League win over Hibernian.

Trialist Stipe Pletikosa is pencilled in to play against Wolves in tomorrow night's friendly at Parkhead - as he did last week in the challenge match against Cardiff in Wales - but Mjallby bristled at the suggestion that Zaluska is minding the goal until someone better arrives.

The Celtic assistant manager, who confirmed that South African striker Katlego Mphela and Slovakian striker Milos Lacny are also on trial this week and could perhaps get a run-out against the Molineux men, said: "Who said he is not good enough to be number one?

"We want to have really good competition. Remember, last year we had Fraser Forster who broke the record for clean sheets.

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"We want someone who is as good as Fraser if we can't have him, so there is competition.

"Right now, Lukasz is the number one and we have to wait and see if we can bring in someone else who can give him good enough competition.

"We are always on the look out for quality players." Mjallby revealed he had not been asked for any advice on how to beat Rangers in tonight's Champions League first-leg qualifier at Ibrox by Malmo coach Rikard Norling, with whom he played as a teenager in Sweden.

Celtic's Swedish legend Henrik Larsson has spoken to Norling about the Ibrox men, but Mjallby - "a born and bred AIK player" - does not expect a call.

"I know their manager but he hasn't spoken to me, and Henrik Larsson's word is as good as mine anyway," he said. "I don't expect him to give me a ring now.

"I am not going to say 'no way'. I will have to tell them what I experienced from last season but I don't know much about Rangers this season.

"But I have to say that Rangers are crystal clear favourites to go through anyway.

"I don't think Malmo are in the best shape of their history, they are in the middle of the table and that is a disappointment for them, for in Swedish terms they are a big club.

"So, Rangers should go through as they are the better team and have better players."

Former Celtic defender Mjallby is looking forward to taking on Wolves in the first of four challenge matches before the club resume their SPL campaign at Aberdeen in just under a fortnight's time.

"It is a great test," he said. "The Premier League is arguably the best league in the world, and we want to show the people down south that we are good enough to compete with these clubs."When I was a player it was really important for us."