Czech this out. Ajeti believes Hoops can put heavy loss behind them with a win in Prague
Albian Ajeti says Celtic can put the trauma of their wounding 4-1 home defeat by Sparta Prague behind them with a victory in the Czech Republic this week.
Bottom of Europa League Group H after three games, Neil Lennon’s side know they must win to maintain their slender hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages.
“We believe we can do it,” said Ajeti, who came on as a late substitute in the game at Celtic Park.
“We know our quality, and we played well in the games against AC Milan and Lille, so everything is possible in this group.
“We just have to win this game first.” Anyone who watched the meeting of the sides at Celtic Park would be forgiven for thinking that might be easier said than done.
By the time the Swiss was introduced with 10 minutes to go, his team trailed by 3-1 and were in a state of some disarray.
“You can’t win every game, but the most important thing is the reaction to the set-back,” said the former West Ham United striker.
“There are a lot of things we can do better in this return game. We started well in the first match, but there are a lot of things to do better in Prague.
“We know our opponents and we’re even better prepared. So while we lost the game, we can go into this match with confidence.
“We’re ready for the coming games, and we’ve been training very well despite the international break, which was quite successful for the players and they came back with new motivation.”
Passed over by Switzerland, Ajeti channelled the disappointment in a positive way.
“I stayed at home during the international break, and had some hard training days with the fitness coach and the other players,” said the 23-year-old.
“I was working specifically on my fitness because I started well when I
came to Celtic, but I was out for a couple of weeks with an injury.
“I came back but still lacked a bit of fitness so I had time to work on that. The fitness will come with each game, but I’m feeling well.
“I’m very happy with the start to my career at Celtic, but I want to help the team get better and the main target is to win, game by game.”
Celtic manager Neil Lennon is appreciative of Ajeti’s effort, not least because one of his other strikers, Leigh Griffiths, is still not firing at 100%.
“Albian’s been a big player already this season,” said Lennon. “He’s had some fitness issues but he has had a really good two weeks.
“He has been working with the likes of Diego Laxalt, Christopher Jullien, Scott Brown, Jeremie Frimpong and Olivier Ntcham, and he is looking a lot sharper.
“I am hoping he will contribute immensely until the end of the year, and we can take stock of things then.”
Lennon’s comment about waiting to take stock is significant. Things are about to get hectic for the Hoops.
“We have four competitions to play in between now and the end of the year,” he said. “We could have nine games in December, so it is a huge month for us
“It will be physically and mentally demanding for the players, but I think they wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Keeping Celtic on track to achieve their aims will, Lennon says, require a collective effort.
“The squad is going to be pushed, but there’s also going to be opportunities for the depth of the squad to be used,” he said.
“We are not going to be able to pick the same 11 or 14 for every game, and the players be looking forward to that challenge as are the coaching staff.
“Even though it’s exciting, we have a bit of work to do, but plenty of time to really find our form and consistency.
“It’s game by game. That’s one I have learnt since coming back. You can’t look too far ahead, just negotiate every game as it comes. It is a brilliant challenge.
“The Sparta Prague game was a spanner in the works before we split up, but we left in a good form and we know what’s at stake in this next one against them.”