Source: Team_Talk
McDonald promises no distractions
The striker is well aware of the hype surrounding their European play-off with the Premier League giants and is just as determined as anyone else to see the Hoops join Rangers in the lucrative group stages of the tournament.
But he also knows that a poor start to the domestic campaign at Pittodrie on Saturday would be perceived as a disaster for a team under pressure to win back the title from their bitter rivals.
"Especially at a club like Celtic you have to concentrate on one game at a time because if the result doesn't go our way on Saturday it's the end of the world," said McDonald.
"Then we've got Arsenal on the Tuesday and everyone is thinking 'Well, if you couldn't beat Aberdeen then you are in trouble against Arsenal.'
"That's the way it works up here. You've got to be on your toes for every game and every game is just as important as the next whether it be Aberdeen in the league or Arsenal in the Champions League.
"Every game right on your door-step is the most important one and that's Aberdeen on Saturday. We couldn't have asked for a tougher place to go in the first game of the season."
Although Celtic may have been written off in some quarters when paired with Arsenal, McDonald believes home advantage in the first leg will swing the tie in Celtic's favour and that it would be dangerous to write off the Glasgow giants just yet.
"When have you ever seen Celtic going into a game at home thinking they can't win?" he said.
"It's the same with the supporters. We have seen massive teams come to Celtic Park and we have over-turned them.
"Hopefully we can do that once more against a quality Arsenal side and we can make it a night like the nights against AC Milan and Manchester United and go into the second game with a win under our belts.
"That's the aim and hopefully we can do that. The closer the game comes, the more belief people have. We have a strong belief in our squad that we can do it."
However, he admits Arsenal's demolition of Rangers in the Emirates Cup does act as a warning.
He said: "They've lost a few experienced players but what they have brought in is a youthful side with a lot of quality.
"We have seen that already in the Emirates Cup with the boy [Jack] Wilshere who played against Rangers and was phenomenal.
They've got other threats as well.
"There are a lot of players who have gone but Arsene Wenger is a very good manager and he knows what he's doing.
"He wouldn't have let his players go if he didn't think believe the players he's got there now would step in and do a more than adequate job."
