Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard isn’t expecting an old pals act tomorrow night as the Parkhead side face up to Liepzig in the Europa League.

The personnel within the Bundesliga side are no strangers to the Frenchman who is looking forward to the chance of getting one over some of his fellow countrymen that he has progressed through the ranks of the national team with.

The 20-year-old striker has been in contact with his Liepzig mates in the build-up to tomorrow night’s game in Germany but he doesn’t expect any favours coming his way.

“I know the team very well,” said Celtic’s record signing. “I have French friends there and they are a quality side. It will be a complicated match for us and it will not be easy but all we can do is focus on our own game.

“I am friends with some of their defenders – Dayot Upamecano, Nordo Mukiele and Ibrahima Konate – and I also know Jean-Kevin Augustine. We have all played together at times for the French under-19 side and I keep in contact with them.

“We have had a few texts going back between us but we are keeping things very secret from one another! I don’t want to tell them anything about Celtic and they won’t give anything away about Leipzig.

“It would be nice to get one over them with a result but the most important thing is the team. I want us to go there and show that we can put in a performance. Ideally it would be nice if both of us qualified for the next stage of the Europa League but the most important is to go and see what we can do tomorrow night and see how well we can play.

“I don’t know how much of an advantage it will be that I know a bit of how they play – or whether it will help them because they know me too. It is important only that I focus on Celtic and trying to get the result that would help us in the competition.”

Edouard got Celtic off to an ideal start against Salzburg in the last outing in the Europa League. The early goal counted for little more than a statistical note, however, after a second-half collapse left the Parkhead side leaving Austria empty-handed.

And the striker has warned that Brendan Rodgers’ side will need to be core composed tomorrow when they play a team who are just five points off of German league leaders Borussia Dortmund and just one point behind Bayern Munich.

Celtic’s task is compounded by the anticipated absence of captain Scott Brown whose return from injury last little more than 20 minutes on Saturday afternoon. The Parkhead captain has been a mainstay of the Celtic midfield under Rodgers and his leadership qualities tend to come to the fore on difficult nights such as the anticipated one against Liepzig.

Striker Leigh Griffiths is also a doubt to start the game after missing out on Saturday’s game against Hibs because of illness. The forward hasn’t played for almost three weeks due to a combination of injury and being unwell which means that in all likelihood Edouard will be left to lead the line.

“We need to prepare as well as we can and hopefully do better than we did against Salzburg,” said the French under-19 internationalist.

“It will be sad if Scott and Leigh do not make the game because they are very important players for the team but we have a squad full of players who want to play. If they cannot make it then we have to do the best with the team that the manager puts out.

“We are all professional footballers and we know what we have to do. It is up to us to go and show that we are strong enough to get a result.”

Edouard’s goal against Salzburg in the previous game may well have offered confidence of his ability at this level but the striker has revealed that having dismissed it to the confines of his memory, his only focus now lies on what is still to come.

“That one is in the past. I never think about games or goals that are behind me. I am always looking forward and I feel confident going into the game against Liepzig.”

Had it not been for a combination of the woodwork and Hibs goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, Edouard could have been going into this game on the back of a hat-trick.

Having netted a brace in Saturday’s game – and after twice clipping the woodwork – Bogdan denied the Frenchman with a late save in the final minutes of the 4-2 win over Neil Lennon’s side.

“It is always good to score but I always feel confident,” said Edouard. “For me it was more that we won the three points because Hibs were above us in the table so we knew it was important to win the game.

“It was nice to score and I feel fit and hungry so hopefully there are many more still to come now form me this season.”