Gordon Strachan refused to comment yesterday on reports that he had fallen out with Aiden McGeady, and that their dispute was the reason for McGeady being dropped for Celtic’s last two games, against Motherwell and Aalborg.

It was alleged yesterday that McGeady fell foul of Strachan after last month’s Old Firm game at Celtic Park - which Celtic lost 4-2 – and that Strachan had subsequently barred the Ireland international from a team meeting.

Yesterday, the Celtic manager was prickly on the subject when asked about McGeady’s chances of facing Kilmarnock at Rugby Park tomorrow. “Aiden is in the squad for Sunday – why shouldn’t he be?” Strachan said curtly. Asked again about a tiff between the two of them, the Celtic manager said: “Opinions don’t matter outside these gates.”

He then went on to say he would not be swayed by outside criticism of Stephen McManus. The Celtic captain’s form has come under scrutiny this season from a section of the supporters and the media.

McManus, the Scotland captain, admitted yesterday he would be “off his rocker” to think he could not be dropped by the Celtic manager. However, Strachan, speaking ahead of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League encounter with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park tomorrow, aimed his displeasure at the media when the question of criticism of the defender arose.

“This is news to me,” Strachan said. “And who writes these things? Is it good coaches? As I’ve said before, he just needs to listen to the coaching staff and myself. People outside can have opinions. I have never questioned [media] opinions in three and a half years but inside here, trust me, your opinions mean nothing. When you come through these doors, nobody’s opinion counts, bar mine.”

While Strachan strongly backed his captain, he was less forthcoming about the question of Shunsuke Nakamura’s future. The Japan international hinted he could be leaving Celtic Park to go back to his homeland when the January transfer window opens.

But Strachan said: “Naka has never said a thing to me. We get on very well but when it comes to the point where he says something – as you know, you will be the last to know.”

Strachan gave most of his first-team squad the day off after their disappointing 0-0 draw against Aalborg in their Champions League group E game at Celtic Park on Wednesday night. The result means the Scottish champions will probably have to win a group stage game away from home for the first time if they are to qualify through to the last16 for the third season in succession.

Strachan was still trying to put the game against the Danes into perspective yesterday while claiming his squad are good enough to get that elusive away win. “We were all in on Thursday and we did a bit,” he said. “Some players got today [Friday] off, with international games and an intensive period coming up, we have to rest their minds as well as their bodies.

“They can be disappointed with the score [against Aalborg] but they can’t be disappointed with the number of chances they made. If you play in the Champions League and the other team has no shots on target then your team must be doing something right.

“Our quality in the box wasn’t as good as it was in the previous game against Motherwell, otherwise we would have won the game.”

Strachan added: “If we had the key [to winning away from home] we would use it. I know the question that has to be asked and I would love to be able to sit here and not hear that question but it is our fault. But I do feel that this season, we are maybe better equipped to help us do that than at any time since I came here.”

Michael Beauchamp, the Aalborg defender, has had his red card rescinded after he was incorrectly sent off during the Champions League draw against Celtic on Wednesday night. Beauchamp was the victim of mistaken identity when he was shown the red card for a foul on Georgios Samaras committed by his defensive partner, Michael Jakobsen, with 11 minutes remaining. Jakobsen has been handed a one-match ban instead, meaning he will miss Aalborg’s next Champions League match, against Manchester United in Denmark on September 30.