Rodgers wants two strikers to replace Leigh
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has no difficulty reeling off what he wants for Christmas – or at least for the break, which follows hard on the heels of the Old Firm derby on December 29.
Not one striker to cover Leigh Griffiths who has been given time off to deal with his personal issues, but two!
The Hoops will head into the festive season and their January break in Dubai, secure in the knowledge they have European football to look forward to on their return.
And with tomorrow’s draw in Nyon offering the possibility of a tie against some of Europe’s biggest clubs, Rodgers has underlined to the Hoops Board the impossibility of taking on such opposition with only one recognised striker, record signing Odsonne Edouard.
“There is no doubt Leigh’s absence focuses my mind ahead of January,” said the Celtic boss.
“It’s always been a focus, but this narrows it because we know we can’t go through the number of games we have, and at the intensity at which we play, with the same striker.
“So we will definitely have a look at bringing one in, and we might need two because we wanted three strikers (to choose from).
“It will be about availability. January is a very hard window in which to get players in.
“But we will definitely have to reinforce.”
Celtic pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the winter window two years ago when securing the services of Manchester City winger, Patrick Roberts, on an 18-month loan deal.
Given the unpredictable nature of Griffiths’ absence, a similar arrangement for a striker – or even two – would make sense this season.
Rodgers, though, is philosophical about the difficulty of snagging such deals, given the demands on the big English clubs.
“We have to look at whatever is available, really,” he said.
“It’s hard, because if a team has four strikers and they play with a front two, they probably don’t want to lose any of them in case they get an injury and are down to three.
“So it’s just going to be about availability.”
Lest it be forgotten, the Hoops boss stressed the contribution his ailing frontman has made to the European qualification.
“Leigh has played his part, absolutely. He set us on the road,” said Rodgers.
“He got the goal that gave us the win against Rosenborg, and all the goals and all the wins were important.
“We needed them because it was a tough group, with two Champions League teams in Leipzig and Salzburg.
“And Rosenborg showed that they are a good side, too, going to Leipzig and getting the point there.
“The Europa League is a big level. There are some great teams in there, but I’m just glad we qualified and got through.
“We looked a fraction leggy against Salzburg, and that’s because we have put so much in.
“We have played a season’s worth of games up till now, and we are not even at the halfway point.
“The players deserve all the credit because it has shown the character of the squad.
“Leipzig had been above Bayern Munich in the table, so it shows it has been an absolutely brilliant achievement.”
Today brings a return to the “auld claes and porridge” of the Scottish domestic game, in the shape of a trip to Edinburgh to face Hibs at Easter Road.
“It’s tough, but it’s that way because we have been successful,” said Rodgers, who today will be pitting his managerial wits against Neil Lennon, one of his predecessors at Celtic.
“That’s the way you want it to be, and we just have to try to recover the players as fast as we can and get them as fresh as we can.
“We’ll arrive into Sunday and Easter Road, which as we know is a notoriously difficult place to go.
‘They had their first win for a long time last week. So we will be ready for a tough match.”