Can we have a squad update in terms of injuries and your thoughts ahead of the game?

We have only two players not available through injury and that’s Hagi and Davis. The other ones are all training today, we still have a training session left before we travel. We have quite a big squad to take with us against a strong opponent. We saw last week, it was a good game and quite an even game, of course, we won with a three-goal margin which was a very good result for us to take with us but we can expect an opponent who will do everything to overcome this 3-0 loss last week. For us, it starts all over again, we just go into the game preparing the team to get a good result. That’s all we are going to do and work hard to be in the next round after the game.

Does the fact a number of players are walking on a suspension tightrope alter your thinking for the game?

No. Obviously, when you are playing so many games in Europe you will always have players on one yellow card away from a suspension but that’s for every team but it won’t affect our approach to selecting the team. I think also the players in the game don’t have to play in a different way, we just go there with the strongest 11 possible and we will do everything to win this game and win this tie, that is the most important thing and then we will see after the game who we will have available for the next game.

Is the hostile atmosphere one that the players should relish if they want to put in a performance?

We know we are going to go to a place where the atmosphere can be very hostile but that’s a thing we have to cope with. We have quite an experienced team so we’ve been in places before where it’s been very hostile. You have to deal with it to make sure you are mentally prepared, tactically you are prepared and make sure you are concentrated on the game and playing against the 11 other players. It will be a nice atmosphere to play in and we have to enjoy that as well.

What did the first leg tell you about Red Star?

You have a view of the team you are playing against because you watched a lot of games, you watch the patterns they have, their strengths, their weaknesses but eventually when you play them yourself like we did last week you have a much better view. Not only myself but also the players who can analyse that game really well and prepare the players again for tomorrow. The outcome of the analysis is the same, we are going to play against a very good opponent and that won’t change.

How do the team approach the game with having a 3-0 lead?

I think you start over again. The game last week has been played, now we are going to play a new game and I think we have to approach the game to have the best result possible tomorrow. We don’t want to go into the game knowing we have a three-goal difference so we have to prepare for the first minute, try to be solid, try to be dangerous as well at the right moments in the game. Of course, you will have moments in every game where you maybe go 1-0 up or 1-0 down but just make sure we stick to our tactical gameplan and make sure we do everything we can to get a positive result after the game.

Has it been frustrating not having Ryan Jack available for such a long time?

Of course, you want your players to be available for games. The same for Ryan, we had to miss him for a long time this season through injury and you could see his performances and what he brings to the team which is very positive for me. To have him back in the squad is good, it’s also good for the team because we have a broad selection of players we can choose from. His performances have been really good, that’s also why he got picked again for Scotland. He will give his best for Scotland as well. His character, his attitude and his performances will also benefit Scotland so I’m more than happy to have him back.

If you get through, how exciting would it be to have a month where everything is on the line in all three competitions?

Our main objective tomorrow is to go through and to be in the next round in Europe, that’s very important for all of us. Of course, you’re going to add two more games in April but that’s what you want, you want to be involved in all competitions at the end of the season and we’ll just add some games against a strong opponent. That’s what you want when you are playing and when you are a coach and that’s also what you want as a club and the fans to play many games at the top level so we just have to make sure we go out tomorrow and we are in the next round.

Can the atmosphere bring the best out of the players?

Of course, it’s a challenge for us. To go out to a strong opponent and the atmosphere we are going to face tomorrow and to get a good result, that’s a really big challenge for us. That’s why we go there to have a positive result and to make sure to go to the next round. Of course, some grounds are more difficult to go to than others but I think this one is definitely one of them that we are all going to see a great atmosphere tomorrow.

Is there anything you can do to tell the players how to cope with the atmosphere?

We just make sure we are going into the game really well prepared so I mean tactically wise, how we want to defend, how we want to attack and make sure we are also mentally prepared to get over this challenge. We have quite an experienced side, a team who’ve played many games in Europe in the last couple of years and played against strong opponents so, in that way, we are well prepared but it starts all over once the whistle goes we have to be there and tomorrow won’t be any different.