In a radio interview McGarvey, who played for the club in the 1980s, claimed he was puzzled as to why striker Scott McDonald had to come off through fatigue during the Champions League clash with Manchester United at Parkhead last week before Ryan Giggs equalised the Australia international's opener.

After Saturday's home win over Motherwell, which kept Strachan's side at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, midfielder Paul Hartley alluded to McGarvey's alleged criticisms, claiming there were no problems with the side's work rate.

McGarvey's former team-mate Murdo MacLeod, now a pundit, also backed the fitness of the current squad saying: "They look fitter and sharper than anyone in the SPL at the moment."

McGarvey told PA Sport that he has been astonished by the Parkhead backlash in recent days.

"I can't believe what has happened," the former St Mirren striker said.

"Everything I said was taken out of context and blown out of proportion and it has caused me no end of bother.

"I was speaking to Alan Brazil on his radio show the day after the game and during our chat we both agreed that McDonald going off through tiredness left Celtic with no 'out' ball, and consequently United were free to attack at will.

"It was picked up by some journalist who cherry-picked my quotes to make it look like I was totally critical of my old club.

"I read that I was more or less criticising the fitness of the whole team and since then Celtic fans have been stopping me in the street and at my work to give me stick about that.

"Then I read about a player making comments about it as well.

"But I have also praised Celtic to the hilt. Scott McDonald has been a great buy and will score 30 goals again this season.

"They did magnificently to draw with the Champions League holders and I have nothing but praise for the way Gordon has coped with all his injuries to keep them at the top of the table. He has done a great job again this season."

MacLeod, who was also assistant manager at Celtic, believes one more injury to the depleted Parkhead squad would mean a "major problem" for Strachan.

With goalkeeper Artur Boruc undergoing surgery today for a knee problem which could keep him out of the crucial Champions League clash with Aalborg in Denmark on November 25, the Celtic boss has a full team of players on the treatment table.

"Gordon has 10 or 11 players out and five or six of them would start," MacLeod said. "But Celtic still managed to see off Motherwell quite comfortably at the weekend,

"That just shows you the quality that is there and I'm sure Gordon won't be panicking looking towards January.

"But the squad has been stretched to the limit. I don't think any more can drop out or else there will be a major problem.

"The squad at the moment is good enough to beat the rest of the teams in the SPL, although Rangers would be a bigger task.

"But with the European game coming up it is so important for the team to be stronger.

"They do need one of the strikers, at least, back in the team and Aiden McGeady or Shaun Maloney has got to be in the side.

"But their attitude has kept them going on the domestic front. When you look at the players, they are in for every challenge and they are up and down the pitch.

"They look fitter and sharper than anyone in the SPL at the moment.

"A lot of the players who have come in know they have to perform or as soon as the big names come back, they will be pushed to the side."