Milan are favourites to progress but Gattuso, who had a spell with Rangers earlier in his career, is wary of Gordon Strachan’s men.

“There is no doubt that it will be a memorable night,” he told Corriere dello Sport.

“The Celtic game is the most important of our season, it won’t be easy to forget that. It’s a very delicate encounter, we have to face it in the right way, with a winning mentality.

“The Scottish side will be really dangerous. They will play in a different manner away from Celtic Park.

“However, they will never give up and have great character. They can also cause opponents trouble away from home.”

The 29-year-old has also issued a rallying cry to the Milan supporters by urging them to turn the San Siro into a cauldron of noise for the visit of the Scottish champions.

“What gives us that something extra? Our support,” he added.

“I am calling on our fans. The San Siro must be one of the great occasions. Me and my team-mates want to see it full and boiling over.

“Great support, a great night of emotion and passion will give us a lift.”

Milan’s stadium is far from a sell-out, with more than 20,000 tickets remaining on sale today.

A reduced home support could play into Celtic’s hands, and Milan are determined to pay the Glasgow giants maximum respect, knowing a score draw would be enough to carry Strachan’s side into the quarter-finals.

“We mustn’t underestimate the opposition,” midfielder Cristian Brocchi told the Milan Channel.

“Often the games which look simple on paper turn out to be the most complicated.

“The 0-0 is an ambiguous result, and we will have to score goals and avoiding conceding any.

“Our aim however is not to make calculations, but to win the match. Milan have great experience and know about matches of this type.”