BREN’S KEEN TO KEEP A HOLD OF FILIP

BRENDAN RODGERS has urged Leicester to let Filip Benkovic stay for the season.

The £13million Croatian defender has made a huge impact at Parkhead since joining on loan from the Foxes in August.

Leicester boss Claude Puel is happy for Benkovic to remain in Glasgow for the duration of the campaign but the Frenchman has admitted that he needs to assess his own defensive situation in January.

Rodgers understands his counterpart’s position but says the 21-year-old is gaining crucial big-game experience with Celtic and has become a key asset in his squad.

He said: “Leicester are within their rights to assess it but let’s hope he stays. They have a few young players out on loan playing – Harvey Barnes at West Brom and Filip here.

“They are getting games in their legs and you see the value of Filip to us. He’ll continue to play and he’s been superb for us.”

Benkovic – who scored the third goal against Dundee on Saturday (above) – will certainly be in place for the Boxing Day showdown against Aberdeen and Rodgers has confirmed a host of his other big guns will also return for the crunch match in the Granite City.

Dedryck Boyata, Mikael Lustig, Kieran Tierney and Odsonne Edouard should all have recovered from injuries to face the Dons and Rangers on Saturday before the mid-season shutdown.

Rodgers said: “They automatically come into the squad. They are big players.”