RONNY DEILA and his Celtic players still carry the mental and physical scars of a Champions League qualifying campaign which ended in ignominy and disappointment.

But if anybody thinks competing in the Europa League will be any easier, they need to take a closer look at the opposition. Like Celtic, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb were expected to qualify for the main competition, but fell to lower-ranked opposition.

Indeed, in Group D, only Astra are happy to be here, having secured safe passage through the Europa League qualifiers. Playing Salzburg away is considered the toughest start possible, but Deila is not sure this will prove to be the case.

"All these three teams are not so well known to everybody, but are good teams in their countries," he said. "It's important to get points from away games. At home, it is important to be strong, but, if you can get something away as well, you have a very good chance to get through."

Deila wants to use the Europa League experience as a foundation for a better tilt at the Champions League next time around, but he admits that this will require another championship-winning season, and he is ready to save his strongest team for European nights in the belief his back-up players should be good enough to do the business domestically.

That proved not to be the case when he went with a weakened side at Inverness, but, with the introduction of Stefan Scepovic and John Guidetti - the latter ineligible for Europe at this stage - Deila is confident he has the resources to fight successfully on two fronts, even though the injured Mikael Lustig, Adam Matthews and Charlie Mulgrew have remained behind in Glasgow with Guidetti.

It is the return to action of Scott Brown, though, that is the real bonus for Deila, and the manager is convinced the captain's presence after recovering from his torn hamstring is acting as an inspiration to everyone in the squad.

"You can see that," said Deila, of his impact on those around him. "They feel safe with him on the pitch, and that is important for the players. He is a guy who speaks and communicates all the time. He leads from the front to show what kind of effort and commitment you need in games. The others follow."

Deila will decide today if he can risk his captain from the start tonight, but the odds are very much on his leading out the team. "Scott is not fully fit yet," explained Deila. "He needs time, but he is a leader. We missed him in some matches when things weren't going right. You need people to turn it around and demand the right things."

Asked if he believes Brown's presence would have made a significant difference in the Champions League qualifiers and play-offs, Deila replied: "I never think about that. Football is like that. People get injured and you lose players. You have to do the best with what you have. But he is back now, and it is unbelievably important for the team. When he gets even fitter, we will take another step. That's how I work. I want to develop players all the time and, when we do that, we will get better results."

The Norwegian knows this is vital after an inconsistent start to his management tenure. He is aware of Celtic's history in the competition, including the fact that, 12 years ago, Martin O'Neill's side had crashed unexpectedly in their Champions League play-off to Basel, and embarked on a UEFA Cup run which carried them all the way to the final in Seville. "That would be a dream, if we could do that this season," conceded Deila.

"I remember it [2003] well. I was really into my football even then and watched the games as Celtic reached the final. I was playing for my club back in my hometown, and I was in charge of the youths. It wasn't that I was studying to become a manager, I was more like a supporter.

"I remember Martin O'Neill's team very well because it was fantastic. That's the dream, to get a team to compete on that stage again.

"Of course it's going to be hard, but everything is possible. The UEFA Cup was good for Celtic then, and it could be good again because it helps gain more experience.

"It was the same for Atletico Madrid when they won the Europa League and got into the Champions League where they also did well.

"Everybody in our squad and on our staff needs this experience, so this is a very good opportunity for us. We have a goal to get through the group so we have European matches again in February. For me, this is about building up a team who can fight harder in the Champions League next season. It's different playing in Scotland compared to playing in Europa. That's why it's so important to get these matches."