Lennon eyes double boost

Skipper Scott Brown and winger James Forrest hope to be fit for Celtic's SPL opener at home against Aberdeen on Saturday.

Brown is struggling with a hip injury while Forrest has a tight groin ahead of the visit of the Dons to Parkhead this weekend but boss Neil Lennon will give both players as long as possible to prove their fitness before the game. Striker Mo Bangura is definitely out with a thigh injury but there are no other worries for the Hoops going into the encounter. Forrest, who missed the back end of last season with an ankle injury picked up in the Scottish Communities League Cup final defeat to Kilmarnock in March, is confident of playing after helping the side secure a 2-1 win against HJK Helsinki in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifier on Wednesday night. He said: "I'm back to full fitness now and I played most of the games in pre-season so I am feeling good. "It was obviously a really good season for me and the team, although the last three months wasn't the best for me. But I am over that now and want to get on with the new season. "We will have the fans behind us on Saturday and hopefully get them the three points. "Aberdeen are a good team, they gave us a hard game every time we played them last season so it will be the same on Saturday."