Charlie Nicholas has highlighted the 'crucial' role skipper Callum McGregor needs to play in order to claim their first Champions League points.
Celtic head to Poland to face Shakhtar Donetsk in the second match of their section after defeat to reigning champions Real Madrid at Parkhead last week. There was plenty of positives for Ange Postecoglou to take from the opening game but in the end they picked up zero points after a 3-0 loss.
Former Celtic man Nicholas believes it is crucial his old club pick up a result in Warsaw to have any hopes of finishing runners up behind Los Blancos and reach the last 16 stage. The Ukrainians picked up a stunning 4-1 win over RB Leipzig in Germany - a result he describes as a 'massive blow' to the Scottish champions. He reckons Postecoglou will stick by his normal attacking strategy and style when they face former Hoops flop Marian Shved and his new team-mates - but he says McGregor, who has been named in the Scotland squad for the Nations League triple-header, needs to make many more forward passes from midfield then he did against Carlo Ancelotti's side.
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In his Daily Express column, he said: "For Celtic, they must take something from Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw if they're to have any thoughts of finishing second in Group F.
"Last week's 4-1 win for Shakhtar in Leipzig was a massive blow to Celtic and I don't think anyone saw that one coming. It has really increased the stakes for this week's game against the Ukrainians.
"I expect Ange Postecoglou to adopt his normal strategy and style for this one because he only wants to play one way. If he was to go more cautious then he would have to make about five changes to his side and that's just not him.
"Celtic are going to leave some spaces which could be exploited but they'll still get chances of their own.
"Callum McGregor will be crucial. The Hoops need their captain to make more forward passes in midfield because he didn't do enough of that against Real."
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