Former Celtic assistant manager Murdo MacLeod believes the Glasgow side need to get their big-name players back to full fitness if they are to have any hoping of progressing past the Champions League group stages.

The Scottish champions need victory against Aalborg in Denmark on 25 November and hope Villarreal lose at home to defending champions Manchester United in Spain on the same night.

MacLeod, who played for the club in the late 1970s and 1980s, believes Strachan's stretched squad is good enough for the domestic scene but fears that their elusive first away win in the Champions League might be out of their reach if there is no improvement on the injury front.

He said: "I don't think the current side are good enough to beat Aalborg and it's one of the biggest (games) in years.

"Everything hangs on that game and if they were to get that elusive away victory it would be fantastic.

"If Manchester United get a victory in Spain then you have one of the biggest nights in Celtic's history against Villarreal, knowing they would have to beat them to qualify.

"The last thing Celtic want, though, with their tremendous European record, is to get knocked out of Europe altogether.

"But I think Celtic do need at least one of the strikers back and Samaras is closest to fitness.

"He's the kind of player who can excite people. He can pick the ball up, cause problems for defenders and score goals.

"It would be nice to have the keeper (Boruc) back as well and Nakamura. The playmakers, the technically gifted players, have got to be about the place.

"I think the games coming up - Hamilton, St Mirren, Kilmarnock - are games in which they'll get (victories) because the squad should be strong enough.

"But the European game is going to be the big test and hopefully by then they'll get players back."