Celtic losing Euro standing - Lennon

Celtic midfielder Neil Lennon has admitted the Hoops are fighting against slipping back into the ranks of the European also-rans.

Their appearance in the UEFA Cup final two seasons ago and Champions League exploits against Juventus and Bayern Munich before and after that date have pushed up their profile to the highest extent since the Lisbon Lions triumphed in the 1967 European Cup final.

But the current Champions League campaign has brought nothing but misery with a 3-0 thrashing in Ukraine by Shakhtar Donetsk the latest setback.

Lennon insisted the Hoops’ reputation would be tarnished if they did not start winning on European nights.

He told Celtic View: “What we have achieved in Europe over recent seasons has earned a lot of respect down south – I know that for a fact.

“And the only way we will maintain that is by continuing to do the business.”

With Barcelona and AC Milan already well ahead in the group, Celtic’s only realistic target is to haul themselves ahead of the Ukrainians and join Rangers in the UEFA Cup.

Lennon said: “It has sunk in a bit now but the fact remains that we are almost certainly out of the Champions League and that is bitterly disappointing for everyone at the club.

“Europe means so much to everybody here and, while we have obviously landed a really tough group, there wasn’t anyone in there who didn’t think we could go through when the draw was made.

“As it is, we have just not been good enough so far and we will have a job on our hands getting into the UEFA Cup now.

“But we know what we need to do. A win against Shakhtar in the next game is obviously a must and I see no reason why we can’t get that.

“Then it is a case of trying to grind out a couple of results against Milan and Barcelona.”

Manager Martin O’Neill brought in just two players following the summer departures of Henrik Larsson, Johan Mjallby and Liam Miller.

Henri Camara has both scored goals and missed chances since arriving on loan from Wolves but Juninho, who moved from Middlesbrough, has so far failed to live up to his status as a former World Cup winner.

But Lennon was sure the Brazilian would eventually come good.

He said: “It’s a hard place to play football and unfortunately Juninho has found that out pretty early.

“The expectation levels are very high and people don’t make allowances for the time it takes to settle into a new club.

“I’m sure that, given time, he will prove to everyone what a terrific player he is.”

O’Neill has a lengthy injury list to contend with and has been told striker David Fernandez is set to remain on the absent list for the foreseeable future.

The Spaniard, who has not turned out for Celtic since May 2003, may now face an operation on the shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined for the past three months.

O’Neill said: “He has suffered a setback and will now be denied to us for the best part of the season.

“That is a big blow both for us, and quite obviously David himself, and I’m really so disappointed for him because he had come back with a desire to do well.”

Fernandez had been loaned out to former club Livingston for most of last season.