The Coventry midfielder who has not played since 11 August could return
The Coventry midfielder, who has not played since 11 August, could return to action against Manchester United today. Blackburn's Billy McKinlay is also doubtful because of a groin injury. His place could go to Nottingham Forest's Scot Gemmill if he is not fit.SCOTLAND SQUAD (v Belarus, World Cup Group 4 qualifying match, Aberdeen, 6 September): Goram (Rangers), Leighton (Aberdeen), Sullivan (Wimbledon); Calderwood (Tottenham), Hendry (Blackburn), B McAllister (Wimbledon), Boyd, T McKinlay, McNamara (all Celtic), Weir (Hearts); Burley, Donnelly (both Celtic), Collins (Monaco), Dailly (Derby), Hopkin (Leeds), Lambert (Borussia Dortmund), G McAllister (Coventry), B McKinlay (Blackburn); Dodds (Aberdeen), Durie, McCoist (both Rangers), Gallacher (Blackburn).. Both were named by Brown yesterday in a 22-man squad.Gary McAllister is expected to captain the side even though he has a nagging knee injury. Aberdeen's Jim Leighton is the man in possession, but Andy Goram, of Rangers, is back to full fitness.
The striker will miss at least three months of the season, and the club has admitted his illness could be career-threatening.Scotland manager, Craig Brown, faces a dilemma over who should wear the goalkeeper's jersey in the vital World Cup qualifier against Belarus. Celtic yesterday agreed to sell their Portuguese striker Jorge Cadete to Celta Vigo for pounds 3m after conceding that there was no way of persuading him to stay Cadete is to sign a three-year deal with the Spanish side. Cadete left Glasgow during the close season complaining of stress and has since cited the unsettling impact of his wife's miscarriage as a major factor in his desire to leave. Celtic's Darren Jackson is to undergo surgery, after being diagnosed as having a brain disorder. Celtic's general manager Jock Brown, admitted he was reluctant to release Cadete, but the player's determination to leave was too great. I am a player who has to be physically fit, I can't sit down all week and play on Saturday like Paul McGrath. If the team needs me, I will play."Hobson's choice for Chelsea fans: lose and see Ruud play, win and he stays on the bench It is another headache other clubs can only envy..
Injury has kept him out this season but he is back in training and played a half against the Chinese national team in a recent friendly."Of course if I was not the manager I would play much more. I miss the sheer enjoyment of playing but there are also times when I think it is a pain The hard work during the week is a pain. We may be able to compete with them but we do not have that name, that impact, like Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Milan. ."While he may not finish his management career at Chelsea, his playing days will probably end there. Gullit will celebrate his 35th birthday on Monday and, after the battering his body received at the hands of Serie A defenders, he knows he does not have many years left. Chelsea will never be the same because we do not have that history.
This he tacitly admitted when, in discussing a failed bid by Real Madrid for Frank Leboeuf, he said: "We are not at the same level as Real Madrid or Milan. There is all that travelling here and there to see players, getting fat, sitting in an office I can't do that, I am too young. Maybe when I get older."Before then he will probably move on to one of the established European football houses, a Milan or a Barcelona. He does not have to deal with the president every day as he would in Italy; his exchanges with Ken Bates are just on a social level. Gwyn [Williams, the assistant manager] does all the contracts and administration."The system works well," Gullit said. "I had a meeting at Wembley once with Graham Taylor and Jack Charlton. We talked about managing and Jack said, `I wanted to know everything.