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Strachan hopeful despite Messi's Barcelona return
Celtic will face the Champions League's leading scorer tonight as they try to overturn Barcelona's 2-3 first-leg advantage. Lionel Messi, who is currently outscoring some of Europe's finest centre-forwards in the competition with six goals, returns to Frank Rijkaard's starting XI after being rested at the weekend. Thierry Henry is a leading candidate to make way for the Argentine. Rijkaard has been roundly criticised for resting Messi at the weekend as a toothless Barcelona were beaten 4-2 away to Atletico Madrid but sporting director Txiki Begiristain has defended his coach, saying: "The Celtic match is more important. We can't afford to fail and we can't afford to lose our humility. We have to be very wary of Celtic because there is so much at stake." The Celtic coach, Gordon Strachan, was last night likening the possible conquest of the two-times winners of the European Cup to climbing Mount Everest, joking that while many had managed it, "plenty had also died trying". "We have not given up hope," he said. "We know that anything is possible. Gaining possession will be the key. When you are playing football there is nothing wrong with having a bit of fear and I think we will have a bit, and some excitement. Hopefully there will be no fear when we have the ball though." Probable teams: Barcelona Valdes; Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Abidal; Deco, Touré, Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o, Ronaldinho or Henry Celtic Boruc; Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor; Nakamura, Donati, Brown, McGeady; Vennegoor, McDonald.
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