WHAT happens now between Aiden McGeady and Celtic will have tongues wagging for the next few weeks.

The player, the manager and the board will all have decisions to make but if it transpires that the alleged bust-up between the player and the manager reaches the conclusion of McGeady quitting the club, Celtic will be a sorrier side for it.

Paul Hartley, probably the only Celtic player deserving of pass-marks against Hearts on Saturday, knows full well just what McGeady is capable of.

The Republic of Ireland international has toiled to replicate the form of last term, but at just 22 years-old, he has time on his side when it comes to marrying his undoubted potential with consistency.

The winger has been in and out of Celtic's side this season because of injury and because he has fallen foul of Strachan's wishes at times.

Newspaper stories charting his spats in nightclubs have also not gone done well to such an extent that the Celtic manager has banned players from socialising in the city centre.

But while McGeady has struggled to live up to his Player and Young Player of the Season awards bestowed on him by his fellow professionals, there is no doubting his talent.

Despite his years, McGeady can consider himself as one of the veterans in the Hoops side, given that he has spanned the eras of both Martin O'Neill and Strachan. He has put in 180 first-team appearances for Celtic and scored 26 goals.

Speaking just hours before news of the apparent rift between Strachan and McGeady broke, Hartley said: "I think you can miss a player like Aiden when he is not in the team.

"Last season he was terrific and there were games when I thought he was unplayable. He has been unlucky this season with injuries that have kept him out but against Villarreal and I think we all saw what he is capable of.

"He is capable of bringing that extra quality to the side and there are times when he is something special.

"He scored a great solo goal against Villarreal in the Champions League and we all know that he is capable of that. We have missed him when he was out and I'd like to think that he can get a decent run in the side now and get his sharpness back."

McGeady is not the only player who has been absent from Celtic's first team this season.

Strachan has had to cope with a barrage of injury problems, with no less than 12 senior players all hogging the treatment table at some stage during recent weeks.

Of those who are still to come back, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's arrival is keenly awaited, although any optimism about his return has been tinged by the enforced absence now of Shaun Maloney.

The versatile Scotland international hobbled out the game against Hearts and his loss is another disappointment to Celtic.

"We have a few big players to come back and I am sure they will give us a lift," said Hartley. "Jan has been out for ages and we have missed his presence and his goals at times so it will be good to see him back in the team.

"But Shaun has been scoring recently and playing well, so it's a blow that he looks a definite to miss the Old Firm game.

"We've had major injuries this season and this is another one. It's hard to tell with a hamstring but you only have to look at Marc Crosas who was out for eight weeks to know it's bad."

Celtic play Falkirk on Sunday, with Rangers given the chance to put their rivals under pressure by closing the gap to just one point against Hibs on Saturday.

Falkirk is a ground that Celtic have stuttered at in recent seasons - even when they have had a full-strength team to pick from - and it could be a difficult afternoon for a team who looked short on confidence after taking just one point from their last two SPL games.

The Old Firm game at the end of this month is shaping up to carry a fair degree of weight but it is something that Hartley refuses to start thinking about.

"We can't allow ourselves to look too far ahead," said the midfielder. "It's not something I think we are guilty of doing at any time, but it would be silly to look further than this weekend's game.

"If recent weeks are anything to go by then there is a lot that can happen between now and the Old Firm game and it is vital that we get our heads down and focus on one game at a time.

"It's going to be a long season, with twists and turns.

"We still have a lot of pride as a club. We believe we are a good side.

"The best way to bounce back is to win the next match. Sometimes you just have to put things behind you and focus on the next game and that is the case this weekend."