SOCCER:CELTIC HAVE suffered a huge blow to their title chances after losing Shaun Maloney for up to four months. Manager Neil Lennon yesterday confirmed the forward had undergone ankle surgery. Lennon also revealed defender Glenn Loovens would be missing for a month with a medial knee ligament injury.

Maloney suffered the injury in the early stages of Celtic’s 2-2 draw against Inverness on November 27th, when he had a close-range shot smothered by Ryan Esson, limping off moments later. “He had surgery on Monday,” Lennon said. “It was a simple procedure but he will be out for a length of time. We are looking between three and four months. It’s a huge blow for us and the player.”

The injury is the latest in a long line to hit Maloney, who had been wearing the Celtic armband while Scott Brown recovers from a broken metatarsal. The 27-year-old did not play after October last season after being struck by an tendonitis problem in his ankle before suffering a number of niggling injuries. The Scotland international also missed four months of the previous season with a persistent hamstring problem.

Lennon added: “He was starting to show his best form this season. He had a horrendous run of injuries in the previous season. It is frustrating because he worked very, very hard to get back to full fitness when he has been out. This is not a soft tissue injury, it is a trauma he picked up against Inverness.”

Loovens has not featured since the League Cup victory over St Johnstone in October after paying the price for some defensive errors.

Lennon revealed the Dutchman would be missing for a month with an injury picked up in training.