Celtic’s Burke and scare
● Rodgers hoping his ‘fantastic’ forward will be fit to face Valencia after injury in cup rout
Brendan Rodgers is confident Oliver Burke will be fit and ready to spearhead Celtic’s attack against Valencia in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The on-loan West Bromwich Albion forward limped out of Celtic’s 5-0 Scottish Cup win over St Johnstone with an ankle injury, having played a key role in a dominant display which took the tournament holders into the quarter-finals.
Rodgers has been thrilled by the impact Burke has had since joining Celtic in January and believes his pace, when utilised properly, can trouble any defence.
With Odsonne Edouard not yet fully match fit and Leigh Griffiths still absent, Burke is in pole position to play up front in the first leg of the Europa League last-32 tie at Celtic
Park. “Oli took a knock to his ankle but we hope he’ll be okay,” said Celtic manager Rodgers. “You see his intensity and the threat he gives us. He was absolutely fantastic today. He should be okay for Thursday.
“Oli has shown and started to progress as we thought he could. He has wonderful attributes and his pressing sets a real tone. He’ll be difficult to play against for anyone because the one thing that frightens defenders is pace. The speed he showed today is frightening really. It’s a joy to watch a Scottish player with that physicality and quality. There are things that he continues to work on, but he’s doing exceptionally well and he has to keep improving.”
Burke provided assists for two