Gordon Strachan could soon be forced into naming himself, the ball boys, or even Bobo Balde among his substitutes should any more of his players succumb to injury.

Gordon Strachan could soon be forced into naming himself, the ball boys, or even Bobo Balde among his substitutes should any more of his players succumb to injury.

The Celtic treatment room may be starting to resemble a busy casualty ward on a Saturday night with a dozen players requiring attention for a diverse range of strains and knocks but, in their absence, their fit and healthy team-mates continue to display remarkable levels of commitment and resilience.

Strachan had little option but to recall 10 of the 11 players who had began the gruelling Champions League slog against Manchester United just three days earlier, but if inwardly any were struggling with fatigue or weary limbs they kept it exceptionally well hidden.

They survived an early Motherwell onslaught with their defences unbreached and never looked like claiming anything less than three points once Paul Hartley had nosed them in front shortly before the half-time interval.

There have been pockets of consistency among the maelstrom. Either side of the twin pillars of Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell, Celtic have benefited from a succession of steady performances from Andreas Hinkel and Mark Wilson.

The German has taken time to settle in Scottish football but in recent weeks has shown more of the dashing but diligent qualities that first attracted Celtic in the first place.

Wilson, on the other flank, continues to impress in an alien position and a Scotland call-up cannot be far away. The only change in defence, therefore, was Mark Brown's installation between the posts in place of Artur Boruc, who will undergo knee surgery today.

It was Brown's first appearance since Boxing Day last year, but he displayed little signs of rustiness as he saved well from David Clarkson early on and did all the basics competently. In the second half, as Celtic dominated possession, Brown was as inactive as he has been the rest of the year.

It is in the attacking positions that Strachan's options have been most depleted by injury. Denied the services of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Georgios Samaras and Chris Killen, the manager has had little choice but to place all his faith in Scott McDonald, and the striker has not shirked his responsibilities.

He followed his goal against Manchester United by thumping in Celtic's second against Motherwell, his former club, and tore around the field for 88 minutes like a man on a personal mission.

After a sluggish start to the season, certainly by the standards he set last season, the Australian seems determined to make up for lost time. "I feel confident at the minute against anyone. I'm back to full fitness and back to normality. I'm playing some decent football, running the channels and playing my part. I'm joining in with the game and not just scoring goals. If the manager is happy with my performances then that's all I need to worry about."

McDonald's current role stretches beyond simply tormenting opposition goalkeepers. Babysitting Cillian Sheridan, the young Irishman thrown into first-team action due to the injury crisis, has become another necessary on-field task and one that McDonald has relished.

"I've enjoyed playing with him," he added. "Being the older one you have to take responsibility and try to help him. Hopefully I've done a good job. I've tried to be careful with the big guy as he's young and still learning the game. He's not played a lot of football, but I think he's done tremendously well. He can be proud of his achievements so far. He's got a big future ahead of him."

When McDonald finally departed it was to allow a competitive debut for Koki Mizuno. The Japanese winger has slipped so far out the picture that an exit in the January transfer window seemed a racing certainty, but his late, energetic cameo suggested there may be hope for him yet.

He later revealed his excitement at finally earning a first appearance and dreamt of a union with Shunsuke Nakamura, another recent addition to Celtic's mounting injury list.

"I'm really happy to make my debut at Celtic Park," he said. "But this is just beginning. We have so many players injured right now and I want to grab my chance. When I first came to Scotland my physical strength was not good enough. But I am getting stronger, settling down in Glasgow and adjusting to the SPL now. My target is to play with Nakamura. I want to score from a pass from Naka."

Motherwell arrived at Celtic Park in determined fashion but were unable to sustain an early flourish that saw John Sutton's header cleared off the line - the ball was over the line according to some reports - despite some enterprising performances from Clarkson and Stephen Hughes in particular.

Their cause was not helped when Clarkson was sent off for catching Paul Caddis in the face with his arm with the score still at 1-0, although Bob Malcolm, the Motherwell defender, felt his young team-mate had been hard done to.

"David is gutted as he doesn't think it was deserved," said Malcolm. "The Celtic coaching staff said it wasn't a red card as well. It's just one of these things that happens as the ref was caught on the wrong side of it. That's when the linesman has got to help him."

There is little time for Motherwell to dwell on the injustice, however. Rangers visit Fir Park on Wednesday night.