Celtic manager Neil Lennon said the Scottish champions will have nothing less than a winning mentality when they face a depleted AC Milan at the San Siro in their Group H opener on Wednesday.
Milan are seven-time European champions but this season the Rossoneri have looked anything but world beaters and coach Massimiliano Allegri is being forced to shuffle his side due to injuries to five key players.
Celtic, who made it out of the group stage last year before being humbled 5-0 on aggregate by Juventus in the last 16, arrived in Milan on Tuesday with only one major absence: winger James Forrest, who is ill.
The only other concern for Lennon is the fitness of midfielder Joe Ledley, who still has a sore groin.
Otherwise, Celtic are fully fit and hoping to build on the experience of last season, the first in the competition for many of Lennon’s players, to their advantage.
Admitting it felt “fantastic” to have made it through a tough qualifying campaign, Lennon said Celtic would not be playing for a draw at the San Siro.
“We always set our team out to try and win, and tomorrow will be no different,” he told media on Tuesday.
“Everything we’ve worked on since our elimination last February is geared towards the start tomorrow evening.
“The players did great to come through the pressure of the qualification games. Now we’ve set them the challenge of emulating what they did last year.
“For the majority it was the first time in the Champions League last season. Hopefully the experience will stand them in good stead.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Milan coach Allegri shrugged off the recent raft of injuries that has forced him to re-shuffle his side.
The Rossoneri will be without midfielder and skipper Riccardo Montolivo, Brazilian playmaker Kaka, striker Stephan El-Shaarawy and defenders Ignazio Abate and Mattia De Sciglio.
Although Mario Balotelli and Alessandro Matri are both available up front along with Robinho, the timing of the injuries could not be worse.
Allegri admitted he had only 13 fit players at his disposal ahead of a match which he says requires a “solid, all-round defensive display” from the Serie A giants.
“Our injury list looks like a war casualty list, but I’m not overly worried,” he insisted.
Lennon, who featured for Celtic against Milan at the San Siro as a player in 2007, has been keeping up to date with Milan’s tactics and their injury updates.
He travelled to Turin on Saturday to watch Milan eke out a 2-2 draw against Torino but, despite their injury woes, Lennon was quick to higlight the quality of the players Allegri does have at his disposal.
“Unfortunate these injuries have come at the same time, it’s not ideal for him (Allegri) but I’m sure as the campaign progresses they will get better and stronger,” said Lennon.
“Balotelli’s a wonderful footballer. Having seen him live for the first time on Saturday, he’s very powerful. When he’s in full flow he can hold defenders off.
“People question his temperament, but I would have him in my team. He’s young and he’s got so much ahead of him in terms of his career.
“And the fact he can bring in Matri, that’s a player myself and the board of directors can only dream of (buying). Right now, I can’t really offer up a lot of sympathy at this stage for him (Allegri).”
Celtic in Milan to win, says Lennon
