BREN READY TO HIT SALES INJANUARY

Rodgers vow to bolster his backline in window

BRENDAN RODGERS has clarified that he will attempt to sign another defender in the January transfer window.

Celtic have had a defensive nightmare since the season began with Erik Sviatchenko, Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic all injured at key moments.

Rodgers was forced to go into critical UEFA Champions League qualifiers and games with Nir Bitton deployed as a centre-half because of the defensive headaches posed by the lack of personnel.

However, he has confirmed that the club will be on the look-out to add to the existing squad when the transfer window re-opens in January.

“There is no doubt, for sure, we need to get another centre-half and that’s something we are looking at,” said Rodgers. “We have really good centrehalves – but you need to have them available.

“And availability is one of the huge things for me. A player needs to be available to play games.

“So there is no doubt it’s a position we are looking at.

“It’s something where, hopefully, going forward we won’t

have the same issues we’ve had over the last couple of pre-seasons which have been difficult for us.”

And Rodgers was also defensive of the contribution made by Bitton.

The Israeli internationalist was criticised on the back of some of his defensive displays, something that Rodgers bristled at.

“I know there has been a lot of talk about Nir Bitton, but Nir Bitton has been brilliant for me over the course of these games,” said the Celtic manager.

“We all knew he was a midfield player but we were in a position where we had to try to find a way to get through into the Champions League.

“He did exceptionally well in some of the games, even the last game against Bayern Munich, when he was outstanding.

“I just felt that some people were looking to confirm their own bias towards him, in relation to him not being a centre-half.”

Rodgers also revealed the difficulty of trying to get the right players into the club when he has been down defensively.

“I’ve been here two pre-seasons now and over the course of those two we’ve had to rejig our defensive line because of injuries and it’s not ideal, that’s for sure,” he explained at the club’s AGM yesterday.

“What you always have in your mind is to see the extent of the injury and how long the player is going to be out.

“And, two, what has been quite unique in terms of the last two pre-seasons we’re had – maybe three – down at the same time.”