Brendan Rodgers makes Champions League progress the short-term target for Celtic

Irish Examiner

19 hours ago

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is confident his squad is strong enough to qualify for the Champions League - but he knows they would need to strengthen if they got there.
Rodgers was not anticipating any late amendments to his European squad ahead of Tuesday's 11pm deadline on the eve of their play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty at Parkhead.
The Northern Irishman previously stressed he was in need of attacking reinforcements following the departures of Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn this year and a long-term injury for Jota.
But it has been two weeks since their most recent arrival, 19-year-old Manchester City loan defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Rodgers was focused on getting past the Kazakh opposition with familiar players.
When asked if his squad was strong enough for the Champions League, he said: "Firstly we want to qualify of course and, if it's with this group of players, I'm confident that we can do that. Going forward, it's clear we would have to improve the squad."
Rodgers was then asked if he would get the additions he was looking for when the board discover whether they have Champions League income.
"I don't know," he said. "I don't know. We just play the game and we'll see where we're at at the end of the window."
The 52-year-old has been keen to play down transfer talk in recent weeks after making his feelings clear earlier in the summer.
"I'm not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated because that transfers on to the players that I have, and those guys have been brilliant.
"If we get somebody in, great. If not, then we'll go with what we've got. We'll do everything we can to try and ensure all the details are right for the game and see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again.
"I've had no injuries and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity that we want to work at can hopefully be enough to see us through. But these games will always be tough games."
Rodgers has been keen to ensure uncertainty over potential outgoing transfers also does not affect players. The likes of Daizen Maeda have been linked with Premier League suitors.
"I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players, I think it's important to just set the narrative for them because there's so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end," he said.
"I've been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking are they staying, are they going, but in the midst of that you've got really important games.
"So I've already mentioned this to players about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season, however, the money will be in your bank every month and it'll be from Celtic and whilst it is, you need to perform.
"And in fairness to the players, they've been brilliant with that. You see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games."
Reports on Monday claimed that 38-year-old striker Jamie Vardy had his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester.
But Rodgers said: "Listen, I would not speak about any individual player. Of course I worked really well with Jamie, he was brilliant for me in my time at Leicester. But there's been so many names floated about. I wouldn't disclose either way."