Fitness race for Vennegoor of Hesselink

Celtic FC striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink faces a fitness battle to be ready for the UEFA Champions League game against Manchester United FC on 21 October.

Strachan relief
The Dutch international limped off a minute into Saturday's 4-0 win over Hamilton Academical FC and could be out of action for up to a month after straining an adductor muscle in his groin. "It is an adductor muscle injury, so that's not good news," said manager Gordon Strachan. "I don't know how long he'll be out. He'd been carrying a wee injury but it was something completely different. He doesn't know yet what happened. I thought it was his knee at first so I'm happy that it wasn't that."

Netherlands qualifiers
Vennegoor of Hesselink, who scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Celtic in their 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford two seasons ago, is also set to miss the Netherlands' 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying double-header against Iceland and Norway. Celtic are third in Group E with one point from their first two fixtures against Aalborg BK and Villarreal CF.