WHO better to consult ahead of a meeting with one of the Milan giants in the knockout stages of European competition than Gordon Strachan?

The Scotland manager was in charge of Celtic in February 2007 when the Parkhead side were drawn against AC Milan in the Champions League last 16, a creditable performance over the two legs against the eventual champions being undone by a solitary injury-time goal from Kaka.

Seven years have passed, this time the tournament involved is the Europa League, and the opponents are Milan's city rivals Internaz- ionale, but one thing doesn't change. The Italian giants, back under the control of Roberto Mancini, following his stint at Galatasaray, are only mid-table in Serie A but their starting point will once again be a parsimonious defence, most likely marshalled by former Manchester United star Nemanja Vidic.

"They are not the Inter Milan of a few years ago but they have Mancini back," said the Scotland manager. "Around 15 or 20 years ago, you always knew the Inter Milan team. Now, it's different. They are chopping and changing. They bring in loan players and then move them out.

"I don't see a lot of Italian football these days. Like everybody, 20 years ago I watched James Richardson's programme on a Saturday morning. Back then, you knew every Italian player. But football has moved - to Spain, Germany and England.

"What you will get against an ­Italian side, though, is an incredibly hard game. They just have that way of defending - they are quite happy to do it. The onus is definitely on you to break them down."

With the home leg first, at Celtic Park on February 19, another thing that is guaranteed is a capacity home crowd. That alone will be something of a novelty for Ronny Deila, in a match which comes at the end of a crucial period which also includes the Old Firm League Cup semi-final and a Scottish Cup trip to Dundee.

The Norwegian spent time with Mancini during his past life at Stromsgodset, due to a partnership which saw them take young Manchester City players on loan.

"Inter is a big game," Strachan said. "That's the kind of tie that gets you a crowd and I think that's what Celtic are waiting for. When you sign for Celtic, that's what you want. You want Old Firm games, you want the big European games.

"I was reading Ronny talking about playing a game when the stadium is full. He's not had that yet. Some of the players haven't had that yet either.

"Years ago, you were guaranteed that every week. Now you are looking forward to games where there will be a full house. I saw [Shunsuke] Nakamura [another veteran of that 2007 Milan match] at the Celtic game last weekend. I remember him scoring a winner against Livingston and there were 56,000 there."

The Europa League has been regarded with derision by many of the continent's elite teams, but with a spot in next year's ­Champions League up for grabs, that is no longer the case. Inter, Everton and Liverpool, are huge names who may see the Europa League as a better route to qualification than their domestic leagues.

"When you look at the list of teams coming out in the draw, you can see that it's a proper compet-ition now," Strachan said. "That's what you work for. That's the kind of tie you want as you know there will be a full house."

Deila is on record as wanting two or three additions to his squad by the time these matches come about, but the Scotland manager knows all about the difficulties of adding players during the January window.

"Apart from the big five clubs in England, nobody really has money to spend in the January window," Strachan said. "Ronny isn't going to get £20 million to spend. Harry Redknapp at QPR won't be spending a lot. It's only the Man Uniteds of this world who will. It's an opportunity to wheel and deal. You won't be able to spend big. Wages are a big thing, though, it's sometimes about moving people out."

One man who could be akin to a new signing at club and inter-national level is James Forrest. The 23-year-old from Prestwick has endured a miserable time with injuries, mostly complications caused by a long-standing sciatica problem, but the club are confident that new Celtic physio Bard Homstol can get to the bottom of it.

"We need people like James - guys who can go past people," Strachan said. "I spoke to Ronny about James a bit and he will look after him really well.

"Every manager has a way of doing that and we will find out if they've got it right this time. A lot depends on James himself and how he deals with injuries, which he might find he has to cope with for the rest of his career.

"I remember [Jurgen] Klinsmann got injured before the 1996 European Championship final and it wasn't the physios who got him fit. It was his mindset. It was how much he wanted it.

"I have known players over the years who learned to play with certain injuries. Paul Telfer once got a kick on the top of his foot at Coventry and used to play with a steak in his boot to make sure he was fit. Mustapha Hadji taught him the method."