NEIL Lennon again praised his players following their 6-0 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round win over KR Reykjavik on Tuesday, and has encouraged them to follow up with a similar performance at Tannadice this weekend.

Celtic return to domestic action tomorrow (Saturday) against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, and will target maximum points on the road. After that, the Hoops host Hungarian outfit, Ferencvaros, in the UCL’s second qualifying round at Paradise on Wednesday.

Speaking at Lennoxtown today, the Celtic manager said: “Dundee United have made a very good start. They’re under new management in Micky Mellon, who I know from during my time in England, and I actually played against him back in the day.

“They’ve made an excellent start, particularly away from home. They’ll be delighted to be back in the top league and will be a welcome addition again. We’re looking forward to the game, especially off the back of a good win earlier this week.”

The manager added: “Dundee United have taken seven points out of 12, which is pretty good. It it does take time for a new manager to put his stamp on things, but he seems to have settled in there very quickly and they’re a very energetic team.

“They try and play and there’s a freedom about the way they play. Obviously it’s an exciting time for the club being in the top league. We want to build on the performance and result on Tuesday, and going up there is a good game, it’s a good game to sink your teeth into and the players are looking forward to it.

"The game tomorrow sets us up for the Champions League game on Wednesday, but we’re obviously not taking our eye off what we need to do domestically."

New signing Albian Ajeti is in the squad for this weekend's game, while the manager also confirmed that Mikey Johnston has now undergone surgery and is the middle of his rehabilitation, while Leigh Griffiths is out for a couple of weeks with a calf strain.

Manager: We want Euro result to inspire Tannadice performance