Celtic will expect to win today but Gardiner Speirs may be able to spring a surprise with his amateur side.

SPL champions Celtic take on Second Division Queen's Park in the Homecoming Scottish Cup game at Parkhead. Celtic manager Gordon Strachan should have Shaun Maloney and Massimo Donati available for the game after they both survived their return to full training. There will be no Shunsuke Nakamura in the home side as he is in Japan for the World Cup qualifier against Australia, and new signing Willo Flood is cup-tied. Strachan has changed his mind about the restrictions placed on player movements due to the transfer window. Celtic had a relatively quiet month before the latest window closed on Monday, with the biggest incomer being Flood from Cardiff. But the deadline meant Flood had to play Celtic in the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final for loan club Dundee United amid widespread speculation over his future.

Celtic also had a late move for Hibs striker Steven Fletcher knocked back. Strachan was not being drawn to speak about Fletcher and denied being frustrated about Celtic's dealings. But he has grown uncomfortable with the speculation and manoeuvring that goes on during the transfer window. He said: "When it first came in I thought `that's good, because coaches have to get on and coach'. After that period of time if you don't get the players in, well, you are meant to be a coach, well coach. It seems bizarre, they like being called a coach but if they don't get £50million they start grumbling, managers. So I thought it was a good idea at first but I think it's not such a good idea now. There is so much nonsense that comes with it, it's destabilising. There are clubs all over the place with unhappy players who seem to be talking at this time. It destabilises clubs. We're all right, it hasn't been a problem to us, but I look elsewhere and think `I wouldn't like to be you as a manager having to deal with what's going on just now'. I think there should be more freedom. What would be a good idea is if you could only sack the manager at the end of the season. It would save all the grumbling. You have to pick a good one and get on with it. It saves all the nonsense that managers in England are getting and the abuse coming their way."

Strachan admitted he was "delighted'' it the transfer window was closed for now so he could concentrate on football matters. Celtic are unsurprisingly favourites against the amateurs from Hampden but Strachan believes his players will have no problem motivating themselves. Strachan still has painful memories of his first Scottish Cup game in charge, when Celtic lost out to Clyde. The former Southampton manager said: "It's different but there is also the pressure to win, which is always there. It's exciting to see a new team come to Celtic Park. I think the players will enjoy seeing fresh faces because we play each other so many times in this league. We have potential banana skins every week, no matter who we are playing. If it's AC Milan and we don't beat them, there is an inquest. If it's Clyde, there is an inquest. We learn to deal with it and we turn what people might think is pressure into excitement."

Queen's Park boss Gardner Speirs know his side face a massive task in trying to upset the odds against Celtic in the Scottish Cup on Saturday. Skipper Richard Sinclair, who has been suffering from a back injury, will be availoable for the game to leave Speirs with a fully fit squad to choose from. Gardner said: "There's been a bit of a buzz about the place and that's to be expected. I'm sure everyone connected with this club is looking forward to Saturday. The main thing from our point of view is that we go there and make it a contest and that's what our players are prepared to do. Hopefully we'll be playing in front of a big crowd. I know we've sold all of our ticket allocation so hopefully there'll be a great deal of backing from our support. We're also hoping that the Celtic fans come out in numbers to help create a great atmosphere."

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