WHAT was a must-win game for Ronny Deila and Celtic has suddenly become something akin to a they-can’t-possibly-win match.

Overcoming an Ajax team which is currently leading the Eredivisie this evening and keeping alive their slim hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout stages was always going to be a challenge.

The Scottish champions have failed to produce a wholly convincing 90 minute performance in their four Group A fixtures to date. They performed woefully in successive defeats to mid-table Norwegian rivals Molde in their last two outings and slumped to a 5-2 aggregate defeat.

Throw in the suspension of Nir Bitton, arguably their most impressive performer this season, and Stefan Johansen, a first team regular, on top of that unconvincing form and Celtic always had their work cut out.

Now, though, that Scott Brown and Kris Commons, the heartbeat of the team and the main creative spark up front, have been ruled out their objective seems a forlorn hope.

Deila will be forced to rejig his starting line-up, field inexperienced players lacking in recent game time and may also have to deviate from his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation against formidable opponents as a result of the loss of Brown and Commons.

The likes of Scott Allan, Efe Ambrose, Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, Tom Rogic and even the lesser spotted Anthony Stokes could all be called upon to play important roles against Frank de Boer’s side tonight.

It is unlikely that Charlie Mulgrew, who has returned to full training at Lennoxtown this week after recovering from a thigh injury and who would have slotted into one of the vacant sitting midfielder’s berths comfortably, will feature from the start.

The Celtic manager, though, is hopeful that one or more of his charges grasps their opportunity and compensate for the loss of their more established team mates and remains optimistic the required victory can be secured.

“You need people to take responsibility out there,” he said “If we are going to do something in Europe now and in the future, we need players who can adapt to that level and be leaders on the pitch. These players need to step up and be men.

“It’s in our hands. We need to win. Maybe a draw would do, but I don’t think that. We have to go for three points and have 90 minutes to do that. We will look to do a lot of the things we did against Fenerbahce, while avoiding the easy mistakes. We have good players, so I have a belief we can do it.

“You must have no fear every time you play. There is nothing to fear. The worst thing that can happen is that you can lose. You don’t lose your life, things will go on.

“The worst thing that can happen is to go onto the pitch and not give 100 per cent, either keeping something back or being afraid to do what you want. That’s what I mean about being fearless; go on and show what you are capable of and you’ll get what you deserve.”

Ajax scored four goals from set pieces in their 5-1 win over Cambuur in the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday. Given the problems which Celtic have experienced in this area in Europe this season that is, despite the availability of centre half Jozo Simunovic again, ominous for the hosts.

However, Deila has worked hard to address his side’s failings at corners and free-kicks and is adamant they can nullify the threat the visitors, who they drew 2-2 with away from home back in September, pose in those sitiuations.

“We are prepared for Ajax and we are prepared for that,” he said. “It was the same in Amsterdam, but we also scored the same way there.

“They have weaknesses we are also aware of and it is down to us to play with a lot of the same things we did in Amsterdam. We know Ajax are offensive and we’ll get our chances if we defend in the right way and take them when they are unbalanced.”

Much will, as ever, be expected of Leigh Griffiths up front if he is, as expected, given the nod to start. The in-form striker believes rivals have weaknesses which can exploit after seeing footage of their latest outing in the Netherlands at the weekend.

“We know we can nullify them in certain areas,” he said. “They are dangerous on the counter attack, but they are vulnerable as well as they leave big spaces in behind. It’s up to me or whoever is up front, along with the wide players, to take advantage of that.

“That suits me. I like to get in behind defences and stretch the game as much as I can. The wingers we have - whether it’s James (Forrest), Stuart (Armstrong) or Gary (Mackay-Steven) - like to get in to those spaces as well.”

Deila has come under increasing pressure as a consequence of Celtic’s disappointing showings in Europe during the 2015/16 campaign. This outing was seen as pivotal to the 40-year-old’s future.

The loss of so many key players will be damaging to his team’s hopes of winning their last two Europa League group games and going through to the last 32 of the competition. But, by a strange quirk of fate, it could prolong his career in Scotland.

How can the manager be blamed for a loss when almost half of the outfield players he would ordinarily have fielded are unavailable?