LENNON PREPARES TO SWOOP FOR DEFENDER AS JULLIEN IS RULED OUTFORMONTHS

NEIL LENNON intends to enter the transfer market for a centreback after ruling out Christopher Jullien for several months.

Absent from yesterday’s defeat to Rangers at Ibrox after clattering into a post making a goal-line clearance against

Dundee United in midweek, tests have indicated that the Frenchman has sustained significant knee damage.

The news is a huge blow to the 27-year-old, who has already missed a sizeable portion of this season with a back problem.

A £7million signing from m Toulouse at the start of last season, Jullien is regarded as Celtic’s key defensive pillar. Israeli Nir Bitton filled in yesterday but was red-carded in the pivotal moment of a match settled by Callum McGregor’s own goal.

Lennon will use the transfer window to source a replacement.

He said: ‘Chris is going to be out for a few months.

‘He has ruptured ligaments in his knee and obviously that was a blow coming into today’s game. So yes, it is an area where we will probably look to bring someone in.’

Although there is no official winter break this season, Lennon and his players were last night due to fly to Dubai for a shortened four-day stint at their usual mid-winter training base.

Traditionally, the warm weather has breathed new life into Celtic’s form in the second portion of the season but, even with three games in hand, a 19-point deficit looks impossible to claw back.

Lennon insists his team will fight on and insists the trip to the Middle East will be no j jolly.

He added: ‘It’s not a break, it’s a training camp. It’s a change of scenery. We just h hope to come back r refreshed and ready to go.

‘I’m ‘I’ bitterly disapp disappointed. There were a lot of good things to come out of today’s game. I hate losing, especially games of this magnitude and I don’t think we deserved to lose today.

‘I don’t think they had an attempt on target, so that suggests how well we played, even with 10 men. We are bitterly disappointed not to come away with something. I thought we deserved a lot more.’

FRUSTRATION: Lennon feels the strain at Ibrox before heading to Glasgow Airport to catch a flight to Dubai (above). The Celtic players will aim to put their training trip to good use after defeat to Rangers (below)