Group D/Celtic v AC Milan: The Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati has given tonight's game against AC Milan an extra edge by speaking of his desire to prove a point to the coach of the European champions, Carlo Ancelotti.
Donati was one of the brightest young hopes of Italian football when Milan signed him from Atalanta for €14.4 million in 2001 but, after Ancelotti replaced Fatih Terim, the midfielder made only 17 appearances for the Rossoneri in six seasons. Loan spells at Parma, Torino, Sampdoria, Messina and Atalanta then culminated in a €2.2 million transfer to Celtic last summer.
Tonight, in the Group D tie, Donati has an opportunity to show Ancelotti why he was wrong to disregard him.
"This is the objective, to finally show Milan what I can do because they made a mistake with me," said Donati, who holds the record number of Under-21 caps, 26, for his country.
"I started at 20 and I was too young and not ready. I was never given the opportunity in the time that I was there. Ancelotti came in and made it clear he did not like the younger players. He preferred famous players and it was very difficult for a young player to be involved. I did not feel a part of the family at all. Since the draw came out I have been praying for Ancelotti to leave here disappointed."
Donati, however, has warned that his team-mates should not expect Milan to replicate their lethargic opening to the Italian league season - they lie 11th in Serie A after one win in six games - in Europe. "They play differently in the Champions League," the midfielder added. "It is like they are another team in the Champions League and that is why they are so successful."
Celtic received a boost yesterday when Shunsuke Nakamura returned to training after a knee injury and, providing he suffers no delayed reaction, the Japanese midfielder will be named in Gordon Strachan's team at lunchtime today.
Striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who limped off with a hamstring injury during Saturday's 3-0 league win over Dundee United at Celtic Park, is definitely out. Maciej Zurawski has a slight knee injury but should be okay, while Jiri Jarosik has trained after recovering from a knock.
Strachan said yesterday: "Nakamura trained this morning and we are going to do a bit of work and analysis on AC Milan and we will pick the team tomorrow. He's not 100 per cent but he has a chance.
"They have good players all over the place but Kaka is probably one of the most exciting. If you are looking for excitement then he has got that, you saw that with the goal he got against us last season."
