IT WILL be the injured against the pride when AC Milan face Celtic in the San Siro tonight.

The Serie A side have just 13 fit players. But Hoops boss Neil Lennon refuses to be lulled into a false feeling of security.

He can't hide his pride at the way his Bhoys have negotiated safe passage through two qualification rounds and a play-off to take their place again in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Now, though, Lennon wants his new-look side to prove they are as good as the team which battled all the way through to the last 16. That glory run ended in a 5-0 aggregate defeat to another Italian giant, Juventus.

But since the night in March when the curtain finally came down on that European adventure, Lennon has had tonight in his sights.

He said: "Everything we've worked on since being eliminated by Juventus has been geared towards this game."

That included a very short summer break, a tough pre-season schedule, and a strategy to get them through six matches which carried the threat of elimination.

That's where the Hoops earned their spurs, in the opinion of the manager, who said: "I was very happy with the way the players dealt with the huge pressure in the qualification games. It's a different kind of pressure now. Can they compete?"

They will have to face this challenge without the injured James Forrest, Beram Kayal and Steven Mouyokolo, while Joe Ledley is rated as "very doubtful" after his groin problem flared up again in Saturday's win at Tynecastle

However, reinforcements have arrived, as Lennon explained. "Nir Biton has joined the group and will come into contention," said the manager who can't afford to have any sympathy for his counterpart, Massimiliano Allegri, as he patches together his side with nine stars - including skipper Riccardo Montolivo, Kaka and Stephan El Shaarawy - out of the tie.

Lennon said: "It's very unfortunate for him these injuries have come all at the one time.

"But I'm sure, as the season and the campaign progresses, Milan as will get better and stronger.

"I can't look too much into Milan's problems. I have to concentrate on my own. The fact is they can maybe bring Alessandro Matri into the team.

"He cost a lot of money, money that myself or my board of directors can only dream of paying for players.

"So I can't really offer up a lot of sympathy at this stage for Allegri."

Lennon is also envious of the fact Allegri can call upon the talents of Mario Balotelli, a striker who has impressed the Hoops boss.

He said: "Having seen him live for the first time on Saturday, he is very powerful, very skilful, takes the ball in under pressure from people and likes to get them turned.

"People question his temperament, but I'd have him in my team if I had the opportunity."