CELTIC will face a strong AC Milan team tonight (Thursday) but Neil Lennon said Celtic are more than capable of causing the Italian side problems and starting their UEFA Europa League campaign with a win.

The Serie A league leaders arrived in Glasgow yesterday (Wednesday) ahead of tonight’s Group H opener at Paradise, with Stefano Pioli’s side fresh off a 2-1 derby win against Inter Milan at the weekend, and the Italian manager has tasked his team with winning the competition.

Neil Lennon recognises the threat posed by the current Serie A leaders, but he said his side will take the game to their opponents as they target three points from the opening game in the group.

“We’re up against a very good side who are reinvigorated, but it’s a team we can cause problems,” said the manager. “Being at home, you’re looking for a reaction, first and foremost, and a strong performance from the core of the payers.

“Any game of this quality that really whets the appetite is another huge challenge for them. It’s important that we endeavour to win our home games in the group to give ourselves a springboard for attempting to quality."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic inspired his team to victory last Saturday, scoring both goals in the 2-1 win against Inter, and the Swedish striker will likely be a key player tonight.

“They have great young talent in the team, and with Ibrahimovic, they have great experience and quality,” said Neil Lennon. “They’ve made a fantastic start to their domestic season so we’re very excited about the game and all the ingredients that surround the build-up to the game. We’re also very much looking forward to the challenge that AC Milan will provide us."

Neil Lennon also revealed that Odsonne Edouard will miss out on the game against AC Milan as he gave an update on the status of the other absentees in the squad.

“Chris Jullien’s going to be out for a period of time,” he said. “He’s still in a lot of discomfort. He’s had scans and there’s inflammation at the bottom of the spine so he’s going to be a few weeks yet, unfortunately. Jamesy isn’t fully back yet and Mikey Johnston is only just back training, but Ryan will be in the squad and we’ll assess him to see whether he’s fit to start."

Manager: We're excited for AC Milan challenge