Colby Donovan of Celtic Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock
Q: Just on Colby Donovan, he got a deserved rest at the weekend? Is he raring to go for tomorrow night?
Brendan Rodgers: “He’ll be available for the squad, yes. I thought he was outstanding last weekend. He’s been a real bright spark since coming up. I’ve really liked Colby since I came back. Just his personality, what it takes and what it needs to play for Celtic. From a mentality perspective, he’s shown really good signs of that early on. You have to manage young players like that. Like I said, he’s played his couple of games with Scotland. He’s played games back-to-back with the first team, so you have to be mindful and manage that. I’ve been so pleased for him and great that he’s available for the squad.”
Q: Just in the long run, how good can experiences like that be for him, playing in the Europa League consistently?
Brendan Rodgers: “I think European football gives them that. Obviously, it’s a different type of game as well. Domestically, a lot of it is playing on half a pitch. Over the course of European football, you have different challenges. Just dealing with the different environments. I’ve got no qualms about Colby with that. I think it’s one of the big factors I like about him. He’s frightened of nothing. He shows that in how he trains, and then he takes that into the games. That’s what gives you the confidence to play a young player like that.”
Hayato Inamura of Celtic FC in action during Como Cup match played between Al-Ahli and Celtic FCat Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Q: Just finally, can I ask about Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada? I don’t think either of them have been in the squad since the international break. What’s the situation with those two guys?
Brendan Rodgers: “The guys are just training hard and well. If there’s ever a spot that opens for them, then they’ll be in as fit a condition as they possibly can be. Like I said, there are players in front of those guys. They are good guys that are working very hard. If the opportunity comes for them, then they’ll put themselves in a good place.”
Shin Yamada of Celtic Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 23 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
Q: Brendan, you were asked earlier about how a potentially subdued atmosphere could affect your team. But conversely, would you be concerned that a subdued atmosphere could play into the hands of the opposition, who are more used to a hostile, more intimidating environment?
“I think that obviously Celtic Park is renowned for its atmosphere and what it can do to the opponent. So it’s probably something, in all fairness, you would have to ask the other team. But I suppose my message is, probably for the longer term, is that hopefully both parties can sit down and respect the differences and find a solution so that we can all pull together again. Because that’s what’s always key here for Celtic. Until that happens, I need to manage the team to maximise what we can get out of the team. And knowing that the team will be very focused on getting the results that the club want.”
Paulo Bernardo at Firhill. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Q: The first is, in your opinion, what are the major qualities of Braga’s team? And the other is, if Paulo Bernardo is expecting to go into the game?
Brendan Rodgers: “Thank you. Yeah, Paulo will be in the squad. He’s done very well since he’s been here. Maybe not played as much as what he would have liked. Last year, he had a lot of injuries that kept him out and probably didn’t quite have his rhythm. But he’s come back in the summer, worked very, very hard. Obviously, there have been one or two other players that have been in front of him, but he’s fighting now for his place. Now he’s up fully in his fitness level, so I expect him to play some part tomorrow.
“Secondly, the Braga team, all Portuguese teams, I think they are very well organised. How they play, the system. I know that Carlos Vicens has changed it around a little bit in terms of the structure. Sometimes you try to find a winning formula, and you can go to a back four or back five, but we think they will play a back five. And a lot of the Portuguese teams, they understand that structure very, very well; how they play, the wing-backs are fast on the outside, they like to go forward.
Paulo Bernardo of Celtic vies with Shane Blaney of Livingston during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Livingston at Celtic Park on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Two controlling players control the game inside with two tens in front. So they try to find the space in between you, get the ball wide, and then obviously look to attack the box with good quality crosses. So yes, tactically they will be very good. Technically, all teams from Portugal, having played against most of them in my career, they play the game technically very, very well. So yes, we expect a really difficult game.”
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