RONNY DEILA has moved quickly to allay fears Charlie Mulgrew could already be a doubt for Celtic's crunch League Cup semi-final against Rangers.

The midfielder has been out of action since injuring a knee in the win over Partick Thistle on December 3.

Initially, the Hoops boss believed the midfielder would be back within two weeks.

But, Mulgrew is still missing from action.

Speculation has grown that the 28 year-old's injury could be more serious than first thought and that he could still be sidelined when the League Cup showdown takes place on February 1.

However, Deila has shot this down and reports that the Scotland star is expected to be back on the park by the time the squad return from their warm-weather training camp in Gran Canaria in mid-January.

The manager said: "Charlie is going to be out for five or six weeks.

"Now he has been out for three, so, hopefully, he will be back when we return from our break in Gran Canaria."

Mikael Lustig is also well on his way to coming back into contention after being out since November 15 following injury sustained while on international duty with Sweden.

Jason Denayer is another absentee making good progress in his rehab.

The Belgian central defender has not kicked a ball since suffering an ankle knock in the match against Dundee a month ago yesterday.

But a delighted Deila confirmed: "Jason has started running again, so there is a possibility that, in a couple of weeks, he will be back."

On the back of a disappointing defeat to Dundee United at the weekend, the return of defensive stalwarts, Lustig and Denayer, will be welcomed by the Hoops support.

Efe Ambrose has come in for Denayer, but has been the subject of much criticism for his performances, including Sunday's when he was easily beaten by Nadir Ciftci at United's opener.

But Deila believes the Nigerian is not the sole reason for the cheap goals which have been shipped in recent games.

He said: "It's not only him, it's with defending as a team."

The Hoops boss could move to strengthen his defence when the market re-opens next week.

And he is confident he can make the most of this transfer window having already been through one as the manager of the club.

"Yes, we are more prepared than before," said Deila.

"As the manager, I think I am more prepared for it, too. That's no problem.

"The most important thing is to get the best out of the players we have here.

"People are improving, and that's what makes me happy."