Rodgers Focuses on Current Squad Ahead of Champions League Play-offs
Brendan Rodgers does not anticipate any last-minute signings for Celtic prior to the Champions League play-offs, and he refrained from commenting on speculation regarding a possible reunion with striker Jamie Vardy.
Kazakh club Kairat will visit Celtic Park for the first leg on Wednesday, with a deadline of 23:00 BST on Tuesday to make up to two squad changes.
“The players we have will be the players that I trust to do the job,” said manager Rodgers when addressing ongoing questions about recruitment. “If we can get some players in before then, that would be amazing, but the focus has been very much on what is here at this moment.”
Reports on Monday suggested that 38-year-old former Leicester City striker Vardy is interested in joining Celtic.
Despite the speculation, the Northern Irishman is fully focused on the players currently in the squad and is confident in their ability to defeat Kairat and advance to the Champions League group stage.
“You can get distracted by what you don’t have, but what I do have are players who understand the structure of the team really well,” Rodgers added. “They’re gaining fitness all the time and are highly motivated to succeed. This is probably the most stable we’ve been compared to previous European play-offs.”
“I have no injuries, and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity we want to achieve can hopefully be enough to see us through.”
However, Rodgers is not underestimating the challenge posed by the Kazakh champions, who have successfully navigated three qualifying rounds to reach this stage.
“Like many teams at this level in qualification and in the Champions League, they are accustomed to winning,” he said. “They’re 20 games into their season, so they will be at a good level of fitness. They are a team that likes to build play from the back, primarily using short passes, and as they progress, their full-backs push high while wingers cut inside.”
“They exhibit the characteristics expected from a modern team at a high level. They’re technically strong and play very good football.”
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Rodgers confirmed that he has no new injury concerns. Summer signings Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren, Shin Yamada, and Callum Osmand, along with loanee Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, have all been included in his 25-man play-off squad.
However, recent arrival Hayato Inamura will not be part of the squad, as Rodgers stated he is not “at the level” expected from a Celtic defender.