Stuart Armstrong has insisted that Celtic are as ready as they will ever be for their Champions League test against Barcelona in the Nou Camp tomorrow night.
The midfielder, the final scoring during the 5-1 mauling of Rangers on Saturday afternoon, has also maintained that Celtic are not in the tournament simply to make up the numbers.
Armstrong will look to the game against the Catalans as a night to savour rather than one to fear.
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“If you can’t enjoy the opportunity to go and play against Barcelona then you probably shouldn’t be a footballer,” he said. “We are not afraid. We are enthusiastic and excited. We understand just how great a team Barcelona are. They have world-class players in every position but we are in the Champions League and it is up to us to go and give a solid account of ourselves.”
Leigh Griffiths will miss the game, an absence assuaged by the performance of Moussa Dembele on Saturday. The striker became the first Celtic player in 43 years to score a hat-trick in a game against Rangers and Armstrong has tipped Dembele to be hungry to prove himself on a European stage.
“He is still very young but Moussa has shown great temperament already,” said Armstrong. “He is calm with the ball, he is a very confident boy in his own abilities and as we have seen he knows where the goal is.
“I am sure Leigh is gutted to miss out on the game but we definitely cannot get too hung up on that. We have a talented, big squad and we believe we can make an impact.”
Similarly, Scott Brown is also a doubt for the first game in the group, with Armstrong himself perhaps eying up the chance to feature in what might, by necessity, be a different looking midfield in the Nou Camp.
Armstrong netted a decent goal against Rangers on Saturday and he hopes it can be the catalyst to reigniting his Celtic career. And what pleased him as much as the goal itself was the position he was given when he came on early in the second period to replace Tom Rogic.
Armstrong took up a central midfield berth, a place where he believes Celtic will see the best of him.
“I have spoken to the manager and it was good opportunity because we were both able to express ourselves,” said Armstrong. “It feels like an entirely different Celtic team – different mentally, different physically, different tactically and all for the better. Everyone wants to be a part of it.
“I have a clear picture ion my head of what I need to do. That last half hour in a number 10 position was fantastic for me and something I really enjoyed. The goal was the icing on the cake.
“That is where I am most comfortable. Hopefully people can see that. It is where I enjoy football the most, it is where I think I make the best contribution. So it is just about taking chances when I get them.”
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