Astana Coach Stoilov: Celtic clear favourites for Champions League qualifier

Astana coach Stanimir Stoilov insists Celtic are favourites for their Champions League qualifying clash.

The Hoops are in Kazakhstan for the first-leg of their third qualifier on Wednesday and play a club who are top of their domestic league and well into their season.

However, Stoilov, who confirmed captain Tanat Nusserbayev would be out for a month with a knee injury, claimed his side were underdogs against Brendan Rodgers' side.

The former Bulgaria player and manager said: "I know that Celtic play very well and is a very strong team. Celtic are favourites but we will try as much as we can and we will see what the result is tomorrow.

"They are favourites because they have big history at the club. They have been champions of Scotland many times and they have very many traditions.

"I have enough information about Celtic. I know the players, I know the coach, I know the history of this club. I know enough about the Scottish champions.

"Tomorrow is going to be a very hard game for us.

"We are going to play a defensive game. We are preparing very well, but we have problems. We will try to do our best."

Celtic lost 2-0 at the Astana Arena three years ago when they played Shakhter Karagandy in the first-leg of their Champions League play-off but recovered in the second leg with a 3-0 win.

Stoilov, though, is not placing too much importance on the first leg at the 30,000-capacity Astana Arena, which has an artificial surface.

He said: "Yes, Shakhter from Karagandy played against them three years ago and three or four of our players were involved against Celtic at that time.

"It's not important who will win tomorrow, it is important who will pass into the next stage.''

Celtic boss Rodgers is without long-term injured centre-backs Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata with summer arrival Kristoffer Ajer and Erik Sviatchenko also missing the trip through injury.

New signing Kolo Toure remained in Glasgow to catch up on his fitness which leaves Rodgers struggling for central defenders but Stoilov said: "I saw many of Celtic's friendly games and they have very good defenders.

"I think that one of the defenders is injured but it's not a very big loss, it's not a big problem because their squad is full of good players."