Bayern and Celtic hit by injuries
MUNICH. Germany (Reuters) -- German giants Bayern Munich are beset by injury worries and doubts about their defence ahead of their Champions League tie against Celtic.
'We need more stability in our game, particularly at the back,' said captain Oliver Kahn. Key midfielders Jens Jeremies and Sebastian Deisler are both injured and will miss out.
Celtic have also been hit by injuries with Paul Lambert and Stephen Crainey ruled out, although striker Chris Sutton is set to return in midfield.
There was some good news for Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld on Monday when playmaker Michael Ballack and Peru striker Claudio Pizarro, who missed the 3-2 defeat by Wolfsburg on Saturday because of injuries, were able to train normally. Both should play on Wednesday.
The only positive thing from Saturday's match was the fact that Dutch striker Roy Makaay scored his first goal since joining Bayern from Deportivo Coruna.
Makaay, last season's top scorer in the Spanish first division with 29 goals, is essential to Bayern's efforts to make an impact in Europe again.
Bayern know how dangerous Makaay can be since he scored a hat-trick in their 3-2 defeat to Deportivo at the Olympic stadium in their first game of last season's disastrous Champions League run.
Celtic enjoyed a 5-4 aggregate victory over Bundesliga runners-up VfB Stuttgart during their run to last season's UEFA Cup Final but the 1967 European Cup winners expect a tougher time against the German champions.
"Everyone considers Bayern Munich to be very, very strong favourites and to listen to their coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, it's clear they want to make up for the disappointment of not getting through the first group last season," said Celtic manager Martin O'Neill.
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