Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon is expecting a tough night in Kazakhstan against FC Astana, but has insisted that his side are confident about their own abilities.

With a few key defenders missing from the trip, Brendan Rodgers men are looking to stay strong ahead of the first leg of their crucial Champions League qualifier against the Kazakh outfit.




Astana are generally strong in their own backyard, and Gordon admits that he is expecting a tough test against a team who played in the Champions League group stage last season, something Celtic have failed to do since 2013.

He admits that Astana will give some headaches to the Scottish champions, but he has enough faith in his team’s ability to weather the storm and put on a good showing on Wednesday night.
 


The Celtic goalkeeper said in a press conference: "I think it will be very difficult. This team qualified for the Champions League last season.  

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"I think they’re a good team. We've seen clips of how they play and their patterns. [They are] definitely going to cause problems.

"We’ll have to defend, pass the ball and try to keep it. It is a big test but we have confidence in our own abilities."

Celtic have already struggled on the road in their Champions League qualifying campaign when they succumbed to a shocking defeat against Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar in the last round.

Rodgers will want to see progress from his side when they take on Astana.