Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insists the Parkhead side can still qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League despite their defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Olympiyskiy Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Hoops made a disastrous start with Brandao's strike from the edge of the box in the fifth minute followed three minutes later by a Cristiano Lucarelli header.

Celtic are still looking for their first away win in the group stages of the tournament after 13 attempts and look forward to AC Milan visiting Parkhead in their next Group D match.

Last season Celtic lost their opening game against Manchester United but qualified through to the knockout stages courtesy of three home wins over United, FC Copenhagen and Benfica.

Strachan admitted his disappointment at their defeat in Ukraine but insists there is still a long way to go. He said: "There is no way I am criticising the players, I am proud of the way they performed this season. We can still bounce back from this - we did it last season.

"The defeat doesn't make it any easier but we lost our first game last season and we had qualified before the last game had been played."

Midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura described the early battering the Hoops received by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Olympiyskiy Stadium on Tuesday night as "horrible".

Nakamura, who was eventually withdrawn in the second half, was as shell-shocked as the rest of the Celtic players. "The first 10 minutes was horrible. We conceded two goals early in the game, we were especially disappointed to lose the first goal. And the Brazilian players were so good, especially in midfield," said Nakamura.

"That was the most important part of the pitch for Shakhtar and they kept the ball for most of the game."

Defender Gary Caldwell bemoaned his side's dismal start to the match but tried to take some positives from the way the Scottish champions reacted to their setbacks. He said: "We went there full of hope because we thought we could get something but we threw the game away in the first 10 minutes. Losing two goals is going to crucify you and we have to learn and we will learn.

"It can be very easy to throw the towel in but we are not a team that does that. We rolled our sleeves up and dug in and gave it a gallant effort but it wasn't to be. In the Champions League you are playing the best teams in Europe. They know how to pass the ball and keep it and we found it difficult.

"To be fair to the lads we had a go at them and if we had scored with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's chance or Chris Killen's chance then you never know.

Midfielder Massimo Donati will try to shrug off the disappointment of Donetsk but knows the next game against Milan will be no less difficult. "Shakhtar are a very good team and now we have to see what happens in the game against Milan, who are the best team in the world."