CELTIC will be without Dedryck Boyata for the games against Patrick Thistle in the Scottish Cup tomorrow lunchtime and the visit of Zenit in the Europa League next Thursday night.
Brendan Rodgers has admitted that the Belgian defender, who went down in a heap on the plastic surface at Rugby Park last weekend is definitely out of the Scottish Cup match and is unlikely to be ready to face the Russians.
“The medical team are saying it is probably going to be around a couple of weeks,” the manager revealed yesterday at his press conference.
However Brendan did give out a more positive message concerning the players coming back to full fitness and about to challenge for their places in the team. They aren’t likely to be risked in the crucial double header across the two cup competitions, although they may be a place on the bench for one or two of the returnees.
Kristoffer Ajer looks like he will be ready after going off after Boyata on Saturday.
“One or two of the guys have started to return to training, the likes of Tom Rogic and Patrick Roberts, but they are still a wee bit of time off the games,” Brendan said.
“We will put a strong team out. I am always confident that whatever team we put out will look to get the result.
“I don’t think there is any rotation that I need to think about, it is just about picking the team to win the game.
“It has just been one of those seasons for us. We have had a number of injuries this year, so it is a lot of bad luck, really.
“But whatever squad or team we put out, we always look to win the game and that is our idea for Saturday, to look to get through to the quarter-finals.
“But I know Partick Thistle always give us a tough game.”
Thistle were decent in the game a few weeks ago and went on to pick up four points on the road after that before doing their usual and losing in midweek to their Ibrox visitors. They also managed to get a point at Celtic Park last season so they should be fully respected.
Zenit will require a fairytale night under the lights at Celtic Park. It is not impossible. There are still tickets available, hopefully Parkhead is packed!
With Celtic, fairytales do happen…
“A young man from Australia who was about to become a Legend”#Invincibles ???????????? pic.twitter.com/hPJXGav7jO
— Until…☘️???? (@delbhoy007) February 9, 2018
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