Hedman forced to join Celtic's onlookers as 'underdogs' face Stuttgart

Martin O'Neill will not be the only one taking a back seat at Parkhead tonight. The Celtic manager will be joined in the stand by yet another of his key players after Magnus Hedman was ruled out of the Uefa Cup fourth-round first-leg game with VfB Stuttgart.

The Swedish goalkeeper twisted a knee in training yesterday and will sit alongside his compatriots, Henrik Larsson and Johan Mjallby, and the suspended striker John Hartson, as O'Neill's side try to take a step towards the quarter-finals. Hedman's problem has meant a recall for Robert Douglas, who has not played since a pelvic operation in December and who then strained a thigh muscle during a reserve game last week.

"The only other option was young David Marshall, who is just 17," O'Neill said. "He will be on the bench. Robert volunteered and he's a big character, who has had some great games in Europe this season."

O'Neill admits the lack of so many regular players compounds his own problem – watching the game from the stands because of a one-match touchline ban imposed by Uefa, European football's ruling body, for comments to a referee during the win over Celta Vigo in the last round. "I would prefer to have all my players available, and there is no doubt that it is a big blow being without two of our three forwards," said the Celtic manager, who is allowed no form of communication with his assistants, John Robertson and Steve Walford, on the bench.

"It means we have to have a team talk much earlier and that John, Steve and myself have to work out what they will do in any number of given situations," the Irishman added. "As for the players, they are probably delighted that I'm not in the dressing-room."

Stuttgart, who are third in Germany's Bundesliga, flew into Glasgow yesterday promising to silence the 55,000 crowd at Parkhead by scoring. To do that they would have to improve considerably on their weekend performance when they lost 3-0 to Schalke 04.

O'Neill was happy for Celtic to accept the role of underdogs. "We are second favourites in this match and we will have to play as well as we did against Blackburn to get through," he said. "I saw Graeme Souness said we were lucky against them, but we were lucky that we only scored three.

"I would take a 1-0, surely. I would actually take just not losing a goal because Stuttgart are flying despite being beaten by Schalke at the weekend," the manager added. "They will not concern themselves too much about playing a team in the SPL. They are strong, athletic and have some quality young players and experience in their side.

"I think they will expect to go through, but that is what Blackburn Rovers and Celta Vigo thought too."

Celtic (Probable team, 3-5-2): Douglas; Valgaeren, Baldé, Laursen; Agathe, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson; Sutton, Maloney.