Hoops midfielder Stuart Armstrong is desperate to make the most of the chance to play through the middle for Ronny Deila's side.

With Nir Bitton and Stefan Johansen suspended for Thursday's visit of Ajax in the Europa League, the anticipation is that Armstrong will be given the nod to play in the central pastures rather than as a wide player.

“I enjoy playing in the centre very much," he said. "My role at Celtic has been predominantly on the left hand side which has also been good.

“It’s been a good learning experience because it’s a different style of play from what I’ve been used to playing left at Dundee United.

“But I think ultimately I enjoy playing in the middle. It’s up to the manager how he sees the game going and what players he wants to play which positions.

“As a boy I always played in the middle. I played central midfield for boys clubs and school teams but when you reach that first team level you need to fit round others.

“I played left and right but towards the end of my time at Dundee United I played more centrally and I enjoyed it. But players in the team have played very well in the middle and it’s just about personnel in different games and what we need and when we need it."

While appreciating the need for Celtic to beat Ajax and keep their European campaign alive, Armstrong was reluctant to look beyond today's game against Killie.

"Ajax is out of our minds just now - it is all about Kilmarnock," he said.