Kenny Miller was killed with compliments at Lennoxtown yesterday. It was perhaps a pre-emptive strike considering his knack of saving his goals for the most fitting occasions.

Kenny Miller was killed with compliments at Lennoxtown yesterday. It was perhaps a pre-emptive strike considering his knack of saving his goals for the most fitting occasions.

The Rangers striker has already taken a light-hearted approach to his imminent return to Celtic Park, this time as a rival visitor, by acknowledging he could be booed from all four corners of the stadium for crossing the Glasgow divide, then crossing it again.

The likelihood is that Miller's return will provoke a polite response, at least from the home end, if the words of Gordon Strachan and Stephen McManus are any barometer. Miller has hardly caused untold damage to either half of the Old Firm in his time with barrages of goals in green or blue.

Nevertheless, the Celtic manager and captain spoke warmly of a model professional and popular colleague neither had wished to see depart. As it was, Derby County's offer of £1.9m last January for a player with a conservative batting average was sufficiently attractive for Peter Lawwell to accept, despite the bid occurring during a rare splurge of goals.

Strachan, like so many other managers who have been drawn to Miller, commended his work ethic, good nature and even his ambition to play more regularly. It was a well-disguised jab at Bobo Balde, a haemorrhage on the Parkhead accounts department and a man who has as much chance of playing for Celtic again as Miller.

"I wanted Kenny to stay," he said emphatically, "and I can only thank him for what he did at the club. He is a good professional who helped us win two trophies and did not give us a minute's problem. I appreciate the fact he wants to go and play football; I don't have problems with people who want to leave to play football but I couldn't guarantee that to anyone."

McManus, who is expected to spend tomorrow afternoon chasing Miller, was equally complimentary. He was also adamant that one of the most famous derby matches in club football will not simply become a sideshow.

"Sunday is not going to be the Kenny Miller show, just as it is not going to be the Shaun Maloney show," he said, despite the pre-match focus.

"If you speak to any of the lads, they will tell you they didn't want Kenny to leave, but we understand people wanting to play regular first-team football. He will be a success at Rangers just as he was a success here. We have a lot of respect for him."

Miller's departure has hardly been a profound loss to Strachan, even accounting for untimely injury concerns. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Scott McDonald will be given until tomorrow morning to patch themselves up for duty. The Dutchman sustained a deep gash to his ankle in the 3-0 win over Falkirk last weekend, while McDonald is slowly recovering from a groin strain. In their absence, Georgios Samaras and Maloney struck an immediate understanding and may well be unleashed in tandem.

"It is nice to look at a bench with people of experience," said Strachan. "They know how to deal with it. We lost 51 goals in one fell swoop but that can happen."

The all-consuming nature of ancient city rivalry has rendered Celtic's Champions League draw an afterthought. The manager spent Thursday unwinding at Gleneagles watching the Johnnie Walker Championship with his wife, Lesley. There were more pressing matters to contend with on the training field than the forthcoming rematch with Manchester United.

"The players haven't said a thing, now you mention it," said Strachan. "In fact, the conversation was more about Darren O'Dea's new girlfriend. Did I get involved? Absolutely. That's the beauty of this game: you get paid a lot of money to act like children."

McManus seemed unaware, and a trifle concerned, by the apparent developments in O'Dea's love-life. He was equally astonished by the reaction to news of another joust with Sir Alex Ferguson's champions of Europe. "We always end up getting the reigning champions," he said. "I would love to have gone to Madrid or somewhere different but I can't believe there are people mumping and moaning about Manchester United. They have a bloody cheek: five years ago some of us could have been running out at Montrose."

McManus, who came perilously close to a frustrating exit from Parkhead, is now an old hand at Old Firm intensity. He made his introduction in the 3-1 defeat at Ibrox in August 2005, in which Alan Thompson and Neil Lennon were sent off by Stuart Dougal.

"I remember speaking to a few people before it and saying If the manager picks me for this game, then I must be in his plans'," he recalled. "Other managers could have decided not to play me.

I remember finishing the match wearing Adam Virgo's jersey because my nose got burst.

I suppose it was welcome to the Old Firm derby'. It is not just the 90 minutes that makes it special, even unique, but the hype before it and the fall-out after it."

As well as deciding on his strike force, Strachan will also weigh up the experience of Gary Caldwell against the enthusiasm of Glenn Loovens. He is less concerned by the permutations available to Walter Smith. "We have got to focus on our own job," said the manager. "You have to enjoy the occasion and the hype that goes with it. We will analyse Rangers. How they new players will handle their first Old Firm game I do not know, but I know they have signed good players."

Strachan signed-off by denying accusations of a drink culture at Celtic. He has held a private meeting with Artur Boruc after he was dropped from the Poland squad for indulging in an unapproved night out while on international duty. The goalkeeper had already been fined for misbehaving during the club's pre-season trip to Rotterdam.

"I have been trying to get Leo Beenhakker but his mobile keeps ringing out," said Strachan. "He has made his decision and we have to stand by it. I have spoken to Artur and have his version but he has cost himself two caps for his country. I would still like to get a hold of Beenhakker right enough."

The news of Boruc's latest misdemeanour came after Aiden McGeady, Scott Brown, and O'Dea were involved in a nightclub fracas in Glasgow, while Derek Riordan has been banned from every nightclub in Edinburgh.

"I have had to speak to a couple of players as somebody who has been there," said the manager. "I give them advice and if they do not take it then I have to take disciplinary action. I would rather just give advice, to be honest, but I have had to do it a couple of times. People can lose their way quite a lot. Alex Ferguson has had to do it, so it just shows people can step out of line."