Bhoys of summer back in frontline

THE BULK of Brendan Rodgers’ side will report back to Lennoxtown this morning for the start of pre-season training.

A hectic summer of Uefa Champions League qualifiers awaits and while those who went on international duty will have a few further days to recuperate, there has been little respite since the Scottish Cup win at the end of May.

However, happily for Rodgers, a full squad is expected to assemble by the end of this week ahead of the pre-season trip to Austria next Monday.

There has been widespread interest in Moussa Dembele – Everton are the latest club linked with the French striker – while Manchester United have been credited again with an interest in Kieran Tierney.

Sources within Celtic maintain neither player is for sale and neither has there been any formal offer, while there was also a dismissal from the Parkhead side regarding a reported bid for Jean-Kevin Duverne.

French newspaper L’Equipe claimed Celtic had submitted a £5m offer for the 19-year-old Lens defender, a report that seems wide of the mark.

Meanwhile, Tom Boyd believes Celtic are better positioned this term to quality for the Champions League group stages than they were this time a year ago when Rodgers had just arrived.

Having dominated the domestic landscape, Boyd anticipates Rodgers will want to deliver a successful campaign against Europe’s elite this time around.

Boyd said: “The club should be better prepared to get there now. As long as we don’t get that section again – there were some decent teams in there.”

And while Celtic are fending off interest in Dembele and Tierney, there will also be those who fear Rodgers could be enticed from the club.

The Celtic manager signed a four-year extension to his contract in April, an indication to Boyd that he is here for the long-term.

Boyd added: He has transformed the club and it is the level of performances as well. He has his own challenges here. ”