AIDEN McGEADY is heading the list of Celtic's injured stars making a huge push to return to action at Love Street this weekend.

That would give the current Player of the Year every chance of lining up against Aalborg next Tuesday in a game the Parkhead club must win if they are to keep their hopes of qualification to the knockout stages alive.

McGeady has not played since damaging a calf muscle in training the day before Celtic faced Manchester United on November 5.

Initially he was expected to be sidelined for between eight and 10 days. But this has already stretched to a fortnight, during which he has missed a clutch of important games.

The return of the 22-year-old ahead of another key series of games would be a huge boost to Celtic, and coach Neil Lennon revealed he is not the only player pushing to return.

He said: "Aiden and Paddy McCourt started training last Tuesday. Marc Crosas isn't too far away and a few of the boys are in a similar position."

Glenn Loovens is one of them, and he has stepped up his training alongside Georgios Samaras, who has had two substitute appearances since recovering from cartilage surgery, but who admits he needs to improve his fitness and match sharpness.

With Artur Boruc due to report back today to have the knee surgery he underwent just over a fortnight ago checked by the medical team, the injury list which at one point saw an entire team sidelined is at last beginning to thin out.

Scott McDonald, who had to miss the weekend win over Hamilton and call off from Australia's World Cup qualifier in Bahrain due to a virus, is expected to be fit to face Saints.

But his strike partner of last season, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, remains some way away from a comeback. The Dutchman has not played since tearing an adductor muscle on October 4.

Despite Vennegoor's continued absence, Strachan will head to Love Street with more players to choose from than for several weeks - although Barry Robson is now a doubt after pulling out of the Scotland squad with a groin injury.

Stephen McManus, Gary Caldwell, Shaun Maloney, Paul Hartley and Scott Brown are all set to play against Argentina, Shunsuke Nakamura will line up for Japan in Qatar and Andreas Hinkel hopes to feature for Germany against England in Berlin.

Lennon admits they can only keep their fingers crossed they all report back without any injuries and said: "You just hope they don't pick up bumps and knocks.

"But they are representing their country and it means a lot to them."