ABADA MAY MISS AWAY TRIP DUE TO YOM KIPPUR

CELTIC could be missing Liel Abada in Leipzig tomorrow due to religious reasons. The Parkhead club’s Champions League game coincides with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and it is understood that manager Ange Postecoglou has left the decision on whether to play down to the Israeli. This time last year, Abada (right) — who turned 21 yesterday — and Nir Bitton sat out the game in Seville against Real Betis for the same reason, with the Australian on board with that decision. Postecoglou welcomes back Giorgos Giakoumakis in Germany but is still weighing up whether Cameron CarterVickers should return. ‘After the weekend’s game, everyone got through it really well from a physical standpoint, which is important,’ he said. ‘We’re still sort of waiting on Cameron to see how he is, and obviously Carl (Starfelt) misses out, but aside from that, everyone seems to be in good shape physically.’ Celtic’s return to the competition after a five-year absence has seen them take one point from their opening games with Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk. And ahead of the pivotal double-header with Leipzig, Postecoglou is adamant that his players should now be beyond the point of just being happy to be involved in the competition. ‘It’s been good,’ he reflected. ‘I would have enjoyed it more if we’d won. ‘But it’s just great to be performing at that level again and it’s where the club needs to be and wants to be. Now the challenge for us is to grow every time we’re out there.’ Meanwhile, Matt O’Riley has predicted that Celtic can claim their first win of this Champions League campaign in Leipzig tomorrow if they smooth off the rough edges in their game. Postecoglou’s side approach the game a point better off than their opponents. But while the share of the spoils they took from Warsaw last time out against Shakhtar Donetsk got the Scottish champions up and running in Group F, they fashioned more than enough chances late on to win. And O’Riley believes that a similar level of performance in Germany can see Postecoglou’s side earn a result which can put them in control of second spot in the group. ‘If we perform to the levels we did against Shakhtar, we’d be confident of coming away with another positive result,’ said O’Riley. ‘If we can tidy up on a few things, we’ve got every chance.’