Source: Team_Talk
Mowbray assessing Ibrox fall-out
The Hoops passed up the chance to go seven points clear of their Old Firm rivals at the top of the Scottish Premier League as a first-half Kenny Miller double, before Aiden McGeady scored from the spot, was enough to give Walter Smith's side three crucial points.
As well as coming to terms with the six-point swing, Mowbray was left surveying the battle scars among his already-stretched squad which was without Barry Robson, Andreas Hinkel and Danny Fox before the trip to Govan, notwithstanding long-term injured striker Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Robson picked up a hamstring injury in training on Saturday while Hinkel failed to recover from the leg injury which also kept him out of last week's Europa League draw with Rapid Vienna at Celtic Park.
Fox suffered a dead leg and a sustained a slight hamstring tear which forced him out of the Scotland squad for the trip to Japan where he was certain to pick up his first cap in Saturday's friendly in Yokohama.
And while Scott Brown's ongoing ankle problem will be assessed by a London specialist on Tuesday, the Celtic boss woke on Monday morning with another set of complaints to contend with in the shape of Scott McDonald, Shaun Maloney and Stephen McManus
Maloney picked up an Achilles injury at Ibrox while McManus had to have stitches inserted in a head wound.
McDonald missed his scheduled flight to join up with the Australia squad for the matches against Holland and Oman and a decision will be taken later in the week about whether he can make the journey to his homeland.
Mowbray is awaiting the prognosis on all of his injured players and concedes several more of them could withdraw from various international squads.
"We've got to wait and see about that," he told the Evening Times. "There were a lot of players with ice on in the dressing room at Ibrox.
"Maloney has got an Achilles problem and obviously we know about Brown's ankle.
"McManus has got stitches and whether that's a problem for him or not, I don't know.
"All we can do is wait and see how they all are over the next few days."
Mowbray's mood will have been darkened further by the news that referee Craig Thomson admits he should have awarded Celtic a second penalty on Sunday.
With Rangers leading through Miller's eighth-minute opener, Thomson ignored credible appeals for a spot-kick soon after when Maloney went to ground in the box following a clumsy challenge by Light Blues' skipper Davie Weir.
Thomson did award the Hoops a penalty in the 25th minute after Rangers defender Sasa Papac tripped Parkhead debutant Zheng Zhi and McGeady scored from the spot.
However, by then, Miller had grabbed his second and the Ibrox side ultimately held out for a morale-boosting win.
In a match which had more than its fair share of contentious issues, Maloney and Celtic defender Mark Wilson were booked for diving but through the Scottish Football Association's Head of Referee Development, Hugh Dallas, Thomson pled guilty to denying Maloney a penalty.
Dallas said: "Taking charge of an Old Firm game is both high profile and challenging.
"Referees are well aware that their performance will be judged on calling the major decisions correctly.
"Craig and I have had our post match de-brief. Whilst I would compliment Craig for his overall handling of yesterday's encounter, he is disappointed at his error of judgement when he decided against awarding a penalty to the visiting team in the 12th minute.
"Our referees are fitter than they have ever been and our referees are better prepared for matches than they have ever been.
"We are working each and every day with our top officials to make sure that they are in a position to get the big calls right.
"However, mistakes are part and parcel of football.
"I think that it says a lot for the character and professionalism of Craig that he has been more than willing to hold his hands up on this one."
