Celtic captain Stephen McManus will not have recovered from injury in time for the Hoops Champions League qualifiers at the end of next month. An operation on the defenders Patella tendon on his right knee in May prematurely ended McManus' campaign and will now delay his start of the new season.

He said: "I haven't set myself a time scale but I won't be back for the start of pre-season, that's for sure. That's only three or four weeks away and I have quite a bit to go yet.

"The European qualifiers are going to be a wee bit tight and right now they are unlikely."The start of the season and Scotland games are two weeks into August so I should be training for them."