I’d never deny our guys a cap chance
Calm Lenny plays down Covid call-offs and remains focused on the stars who can play
NEIL LENNON is adamant he’d never try to deny his stars the chance to turn out for their country – even if Covid-19 has wrecked his Celtic plans. The squad for Saturday’s SQUAD CONCERNS Lennon clash with Rangers has been ravaged by coronavirus with Nir Bitton and Hatem Abd Elhamed both ruled out having tested positive during their
CELTIC manager Neil Lennon is acutely aware of who can’t play in the Old Firm game.
But he has full faith in the ones who can and is adamant he and his squad will remain totally calm going into Saturday’s lunchtime showdown with Rangers at Celtic Park.
Lennon has spent the past week and a half digesting news of Covid-19 issues regarding some of his international absentees from Lennoxtown and also keeping an alert ear for any other injury information which may or may not arrive from foreign climes.
However, at the same time, the boss and his staff have been working hard with the players who have stayed within the Celtic bubble and had their minds fixed fully on the crucial next domestic joust.
Skipper Scott Brown, past Old Firm matchwinners such as Olivier Ntcham and Christopher Jullien and new signing Diego Laxalt are just some of those building for the weekend at the training ground.
Lennon will link all of that group with the returning internationals over the next 24 hours as he plots his plan for the Old Firm tussle and says there is a mood of steely serenity around the camp.
He said: “The guys here at Lennoxtown are looking forward to the game.
“We’ve got to get away from all of this talk about who’s not going to be there and just concentrate on the players we have at hand.
“W ith regards to the current bunch that are here, Scott Brown has been through everything in his time as a Celtic player and captain and his experience will be absolutely pivotal for us going into the game.
“It’s early in the season too and the campaign won’t be defined by this game. We’ll be very calm about things in the run-up and we’ll be very calm about our play in the game as well.
“Our approach and preparation will be as meticulous as ever and we will look to be successful in the game.
“Our recent form has been fantastic. We’ve won eight games in a row and that’s really consistent form considering all the existential circumstances surrounding sport at the minute.
“The players have been great and we just need to approach this game positively and as motivated as possible.” The eight-game winning run has put Celtic into the group stage of the Europa League and also opened the door to going top of the table with a win over Rangers, with a priceless game in hand also in the bag. While racking up the wins Lennon has i n t egra ted new signings and says the settling-in process has been seamless for some. Ntcham played with Laxalt at Genoa and the Frenchman has helped the latest arrival get used to his new surroundings.
Speaking in The Celtic View, he said: “New players coming in and knowing other boys is a plus point. When there’s familiarity there it definitely helps.
“With Diego, for example, his English isn’t great at the minute, so Olivier will be very important to him.
“You can see them even talking to each other at training with Olivier helping to explain to him what the drills are and what the premise of the season is.
“Diego is a good footballer, he settles into that and sees things very quickly.
“With the likes of Albian Ajeti, having Mo [Elyounoussi] there in the changing room already would have been a great help for him and with David Turnbull, he’s been able to settle in with the Scottish boys.
“That transition period isn’t as slow as what it may be if they’re coming in with no knowledge of anyone or not speaking the language. These guys are also getting the support they need from not only the players but the staff as well.”
Lennon needed the transitions to be smooth with another crucial period looming. AC Milan are at Parkhead after Rangers and there are games against Lille and a Scottish Cup semi against Aberdeen within the next block of fixtures. He said: “This team is well equipped to handle the pressure. It’s remarkable when you look at these players’ consistency and that’s reflected in the trophy count over the years.
“Eleven trophies in a row, semifinal to come, domestically they are thriving, we’ve a great draw in Europe and we’ve got AC Milan next week.
“The players have earned these big games because they’ve done all of the really hard work preceding them under immense scrutiny as well and they should be applauded.
“There’s more to come from them in terms of fluency in the way we play. I do feel that having no supporters in the stadium has an impact on that but in mental and temperament terms, they’ve been spot on.
“We’ve used the squad and that has worked out in our favour. We’ll need to continue doing so given the amount of call-offs we’ve had this week.
“To have so many exciting games on the horizon, that’s fantastic. I also think it is something that Celtic can offer players that some other clubs can’t, these huge games coming up.
“The players have earned the right to be there again in Europe and now they have the chance to increase the team’s, the club’s and their own profiles.
“These big games coming up really whet the appetite and the players should all be looking forward to them as much as we are.”
We just need to approach this game positively and as motivated as possible NEIL LENNON ON FIRST DERBY OF THE SEASON