Brendan Rodgers refuses to comment on Jamie Vardy to Celtic rumours
But Rodgers looks like he will need to continue waiting for the new attacking options he has been looking for.
When asked if he now expected to go with the players who are already in the building, Rodgers said: 'That's what I am feeling at this moment in time. The players that we have will be the players that I trust that can do the job.
Brendan Rodgers declined to comment on reports around Jamie Vardy (Richard Sellers/PA)
'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 claimed that 38-year-old striker Vardy had his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester at the end of last season.
'Listen, I would not speak about any individual player,' said Rodgers.
'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.'
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Leader Live
34 minutes ago
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Celtic left with plenty to do after goalless stalemate with Kairat Almaty
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Leader Live
36 minutes ago
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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers: ‘Sack the board' normally means ‘sack the manager'
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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Celtic fan mutiny amid 'sack the board' chants as one player hits new low and key injury concern
Anarchy in stands as Champions League hopes left hanging in balance Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ibrox is not the repository for all the dismay in Glasgow when it comes to the city's two biggest football clubs. Celtic are a long way from Rangers' level of discord but they are also a long way from qualifying for the Champions League group stage, in every sense. A 7,000 mile round trip to Almaty, 250 miles from the Chinese border, awaits. It has come down to a one-match shootout for a place in the league stage after this goalless draw amid mutinous scenes at Parkhead. Like Rangers, Celtic might wonder if they are even ready for such elite company. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The outcome rendered redundant Brendan Rodgers' noble attempts to skirt around the issue of Celtic's transfer policy. This spoke very bluntly indeed about the need for reinforcements, and not just because of the terrible sight of Alistair Johnston falling to the turf clutching the back of his leg ten minutes before half time. The Canadian right-back seems likely to be out for the near future. Anthony Ralston took his place and looks set for an extended period of action. Celtic's Daizen Maeda looks dejected after missing a late chance during the goalless draw with Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group Flashbacks to bad old days Also loud and clear was the unhappiness of the Celtic fans. 'Sack the board, sack the board!' rang out from the 67th minute onwards as the home team struggled to make any kind of real inroads on a team who are supposed to be travel weary after recent trips to Finland and Slovakia as well as Glasgow. It must have felt like the bad old days for Celtic great Paul McStay, who sat alongside Roy Aitken in the main stand. Rebelling against the board seemed like a weekly occurrence back then, when, despite his cultured presence in midfield, Celtic seemed constantly in crisis. Peter Lawwell, the chairman, got it in the neck here, as did chief executive Michael Nicholson. While Rodgers has been cautious with what he's said when asked specifically about transfers, he has made pointed observations. His comments about understudy left-back Hayato Inamura not yet being up to standard to be included in the European squad left few in doubt about his unhappiness about his resources, particularly when so much money is perceived to be just sitting in the bank. It's there, waiting to be spent. It's not a case of the board praying their ticket comes up in the Paradise Windfall, which, incidentally, was drawn at half-time here by Brian McClair. 'One of Celtic's finest ever goalscorers!' was how he was introduced. What they would do for a McClair now. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic's Callum McGregor in action during the Champions League play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Number 9s catch eye - for different reasons Adam Idah's troubles at Celtic dipped to a new low here when he was replaced at half-time by Hyunjun Yang after a fairly anonymous performance, although there were some mitigating factors. His team failing to get the ball to him was one. Nevertheless, it was hard to avoid noting that Yang did more in his first 60 seconds on the pitch than Idah had managed in the entire half. 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He showed Kieran Tierney a clean pair of heels before crossing in the run-up to skipper Aleksandr Martynovich bundling in after ten minutes. Fortunately for Celtic, the scorer had already strayed offside. Kairat had come close to opening the scoring just two minutes in when Edmilson's header at the back post deflected off Tierney for a corner. It could well have sneaked in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic's Alistair Johnston is stretchered off the pitch with an injury and replaced by Anthony Ralston. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group As well as Satpayev, Edmilson, their big striker, was a constant menace. The Brazilian nearly scored one of the great European goals at Parkhead after 57 minutes when he latched onto a mistake from Cameron Carter-Vickers and tried his luck from all of 40 yards. Kasper Schmeichel was happy to see the ball land on the roof of his net. Celtic were meant to roll over the top of the visitors from Kazakhstan. 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