Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Rodgers fumes after Izaguirre takes a sore one
BR E N DA N Ro d ge r s w a s not i mpressed by t he cr u nch i ng tackle on Emilio Izaguirre which saw the Celtic left-back carried up the tunnel on a stretcher near the end of the 2-0 win over Hibs at Parkhead.
The Hoops’ squad was already stretched due mostly to injuries and in the 83rd minute, with the home side leading through a Ryan Christie strike and a deflected Oliver Burke shot, forward Vakoun Bayo was ready to make his debut. However, as the 22-year-old stood on the sidelines, Izaguirre was crocked by a fierce challenge by Hibs substitute Darnell Johnson, making his debut on loan from Leicester, who was booked by referee Craig Thomson.
Bayo returned to the dugout and as Jonny Hayes came on, the Honduras international was carried up the tunnel on a stretcher.
Rodgers said: “It was a clumsy challenge at best.
“He is over the ball, the boy, and I think it scared Emilio a little bit in terms of he has had issues with his ankles before when he has broken them.
“But the medical team is telling me he thinks he has got away with i t, it is a little bit sore and, hopefully, he will be OK in a few days.”
Asked if it deserved more than a yellow card, the Northern Irishman said: “I think Craig is a very good referee, he maybe didn’t see it at the time, he was maybe blinded, but it wasn’t a good challenge at all.”
Rangers’ 4-2 win at Aberdeen meant leaders Celtic maintained their six-point lead over their Old Firm rivals.
Rodgers added: “It was a very good controlled performance. A very good three points for us.”