NK Maribor vs Celtic preview - Ambrose available for Maribor trip

Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2014 by PA

Efe Ambrose will fly out to meet his Celtic team-mates on Wednesday morning after the Parkhead club discovered he was not banned for the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Maribor in Slovenia.

The Nigeria defender was sent off in the 4-1 defeat by Legia Warsaw in Poland and sat out the second leg of the third qualifying round tie at Murrayfield.

But although the Scottish champions lost 6-1 on aggregate, the result was overturned in Celtic's favour by UEFA after their opponents were effectively drummed out for fielding a suspended player.

Ambrose did not travel with the Hoops party which left Glasgow airport on Tuesday morning, but manager Ronny Deila revealed at the pre-match press conference he will make the journey on the day of the game.

"He didn't travel today, he is coming tomorrow morning," said the Norwegian.

"In the beginning there were some communication problems, if he was ready or not. We didn't think he was ready because he got two matches but in the end it was one match.

"So he is coming now and I am very happy because we need defenders."

Deila, however, does not expect Ghana winger Mubarak Wakaso to be signed in time for the Maribor game.

The Ruban Kazan player will move to Parkhead subject to a medical and the Scottish champions were hoping the loan deal would be completed ahead of the 11pm deadline on Tuesday night.

However, the former Stromsgodset boss said: "It is going on but it doesn't seem like there is going to be anything today. It is hard to get the paperwork together.

"I am not 100 per cent sure but I think it is going to be hard to have him ready for the game against Maribor."