Ice Cold In Iceland

Last updated : 22 July 2015 By ed_ScottishFitba

C:WindowsTempphp1EBD.tmpCeltic are in Iceland for the second leg of their Champions League second-round qualifying tie with Virgil van Dijk available after he was suspended for the 2-0 first-leg win over Stjarnan last week. Craig Gordon will be back in goal having been rested for the 4-1 friendly win against Eibar in Spain at the weekend, a game where Leigh Griffiths, who missed a penalty in the first leg, scored a confidence-building hat-trick. Nadir Ciftci is also available to manager Ronny Deila, with the Turkish striker's six-game suspension for biting an opponent applying to domestic games only.

Iceland champions Stjarnan are currently 10 points adrift of league leaders Reykjavík, following a 1-1 draw with Akranes at the weekend. Stjarnan play on an artificial surface which was condemned by then Motherwell manager Stuart McCall after his side lost out in a Europa League qualifier there last season. Manager Runar Pall Sigmundsson said: "We have been dominating games but we are not taking our chances. We have to improve on that, starting against Celtic.I don't think we are playing badly, but we need a break and our strikers need to do more."

The winners will face either Azerbaijani side Qarabag or Rudar Pljevlja of Montenegro in the third qualifying round.