Celtic manager Neil Lennon hoping to catch injury-ravaged Milan cold

Posted Wednesday, September 18, 2013 by theguardian.com

Serie A side missing key names for Champions League opener

Lennon remains wary of 'wonderful' Mario Balotelli threat

The Celtic manager Neil Lennon is an admirer of the enigmatic Milan striker Mario Balotelli. Photograph: Max Rossi/Reuters

Neil Lennon admits he is struggling to find sympathy for injury-riven Milan before their Champions League match at San Siro on Wednesday night.

Milan's head coach, Massimiliano Allegri, described his list of absentees akin to a "wartime news bulletin" for the Group H opener, with Kaká, the captain Riccardo Montolivo and another midfielder, Andrea Poli, set to miss the visit of the Scottish champions. The forwards Stephan El Shaarawy and Giampaolo Pazzini are also out along with the defenders Ignazio Abate, Mattia De Sciglio, Matías Silvestre and Daniele Bonera.

The Celtic manager, who revealed his midfielder Joe Ledley was a "major doubt" with a groin injury and who will also be without the winger James Forrest and the midfielder Beram Kayal, said: "It is very unfortunate for him that these injuries have come all at the one time and it is not an ideal situation. But I am sure as the season and the campaign progresses Milan as always will get better and stronger.

"I can't look too much into Milan's problem, I have to concentrate on my own. The fact that he can maybe bring [Alessandro] Matri in to the team – he cost a lot of money; money that myself or my board of directors can only dream of paying for players. I can't really offer up a lot of sympathy at this stage for him."

Lennon revealed his admiration for one player who will definitely start for Milan, their temperamental striker Mario Balotelli. "Balotelli is a wonderful footballer. Having seen him live for the first time on Saturday [against Torino], he is very powerful, very skilful, takes the ball in under pressure from people and likes to get them turned. When he is in full flow he is very quick and strong, can hold defenders off, he is a good finisher.

"People question his temperament but I would have him in my team if I had the opportunity. He was very popular in England at Manchester City, he is young, he has so much ahead of him in his career."

Celtic lost in the last 16 of the competition last season to Juventus but Lennon was reluctant to make comparisons between the two Italian sides.

"It is difficult to say. Juventus at the time were the champions and flying high in their domestic league. This is very early on in everyone's respective season. We hope to catch Milan cold a little bit because their coach probably hasn't had the time to get a consistent run of form."

Forrest missed the Scottish Premiership win over Hearts on Saturday with an ongoing sciatica problem but has also taken ill, and Kayal has a groin injury. The new signing Nir Biton met up with his new team-mates in Milan and will come into contention.