This could be our one and only moment...Neil Lennon urges Celtic stars to grab Champions League chance

NEIL LENNON will urge his Celtic stars to grab their big Champions League chance — warning them it might be the only one they ever get.

Lennon’s Hoops face Spartak Moscow in their Group G crunch tonight.

To make it through to the knockout stages they need to get a better result against the Russians than rivals Benfica manage away to Barcelona.

And Lennon said: “The players have got to go for it. This is their moment and they might not get this opportunity again.

“I’m not going to put any extra pressure on them — I just want them to go and play as they can at home on a big European night.

“By that, I mean aggressively and with a good tempo to the game.

“We have players who can score goals, and have flair players who can rise to the occasion. They are capable of doing it.

“Spartak are a dangerous team, but haven’t got the calibre of Barcelona or the structure of Benfica, the way they play.

“But they do have a lot of flair in their team as well.”

Lennon insists his Bhoys will be so pumped up for the game he will not need to say much in his team talk.

He added: “I’ll pick my words carefully — I think you have to.

“But they are very focused at the minute.

“I won’t have to say too much to them.

“I just have to get the balance right by saying the right thing.

“But I don’t think there will be very much motivation needed. Obviously there is the tactical side of it as well and how we are going to play.

“I don’t know what personnel Spartak are going to use. They had a couple of their players sent off at the weekend.

“I watched them against Zenit and it was a typical Spartak performance.
“Going forward they were very good, but they looked a bit vulnerable at the back.”

Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama is suspended but skipper Scott Brown has been passed fit.

Brown has cancelled an operation on his on-going hip problem and claims it will be “no problem” to last 90 minutes against Spartak.

He said: “I am feeling good. It seems to be improving.

“I have trained five or six days and there is no pain. I got 65 minutes at the weekend so that has definitely helped.

“I have spoken to the consultant and he is happy with that so we will take it day by day, week by week.

“I had the operation booked and cancelled it because I was feeling better.

“The longer I feel fit and can play 70, 80, 90 minutes the better it is for myself and if I don’t need to go under the knife I don’t need to go under it.”

Lennon added: “He is our captain, he loves these nights and played brilliantly in the first couple of games.

“He was more like 100 per cent fit.

“Having him back is great, while Beram Kayal is starting to show his best form again and Joe Ledley had a rest over the weekend and he should be ready.

“So we should still have a pretty strong midfield, though Wanyama is a loss.”

Brown’s fitness could be tested by a former team-mate tonight.

Spartak’s Aiden McGeady played 185 games for the Hoops before moving to Moscow in 2010.

But Brown reckons the Republic of Ireland winger will be welcome back at Parkhead.

He said: “I think Aiden will get a good reception. He did really well when he was here.

“Aiden was a joy to play alongside and he was a fans’ favourite.

“But once the game starts, we are there to win it and so is he.

“It will be heated, fast and an exciting game to watch.

“We all know Aiden is a huge danger.

“He is a talented boy, he is going to be a threat.”