The Herald on Sunday

Defence worry for Rodgers

- By Neil Cameron

BRENDAN Rodgers will have key defender Erik Sviatchenk­o available for Wednesday night’s tie against Lincoln Red Imps despite the Dane going off with a head knock during yesterday’s match with Wolfsburg.

Sviatchenk­o walked groggily from the field following a first-half clash with the German outfit’s goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, and had he been unavailabl­e Celtic’s manager would have been left with a huge problem.

Efe Ambrose, whose time at the club must now be near an end, is for the moment the only other available senior central defender for the second leg against the Gibraltar side. And given how much is at stake, Rodgers did not need any more injuries to his already stretched back division.

“Erik is okay,” the manager said. “He has spoiled his good looks for a few days. He is fine. There was a clash of heads, he is swollen below the eye but apart from that he is alright. I believe he will be fine for midweek.”

Rodgers is interested in a loan deal for Liverpool full-back Jon Flanagan, but all he would say about the 23-yearold, whose career has been hampered by injury, was: “I would never speak about another player. The only time I will speak is when they come in here. Young Jon Flanagan is a player I know very well, but there is no update on any player.”

He is keen to add “pace and organisati­on” to his side but his problem is that his squad of nearly 30 first-team players is unworkable.

He said: “There are areas I am looking at within the squad but my first job was to come in and respect the players who were here and assess the ones we have. It is pretty clear how I want to work. I want to bring in additions, of course, to get more speed into the team, and one or two to help with the organisati­on.

“But the players here are working well and working very hard. I think you saw that today.

“There’s no pressure to move players out but as the weeks go on, it will be clear that I work with a small group. You cannot work well with 30-odd players.

“I will always respect signed players and will be open and honest with them in terms of whether or not he is in my plans.

“The pre-season has given me a

chance to assess the players. Their attitude and energy has been first class but there will come a time when I need to align the group and re-focus it into a working group we have on a daily basis.

“That will naturally mean some miss out, but players will be told.”

Nir Bitton is a doubt for Wednesday and while Kris Commons returned to training last week, he is some way from being considered.

Rodgers could have Stefan Johansen, whose ankle injury is not as serious as first thought, to hand. The Norwegian should be able to train tomorrow.

Rodgers also refused to look past the match against Lincoln Red Imps. His side will face Zalgiris, of Lithuania or, most likely, Astana, from Kazakhstan, in the next round, if they make it there. He said: “The only point of concentrat­ion is the next game. I was not being arrogant or anything after the first game. For me, the objective over the course of this tie was to get through. Of course, it was a disappoint­ing result. Circumstan­ces mitigating, of course.

“But the objective for me was always to come through Wednesday night into the next round. The players are still in their preparatio­n phase and they are having to play some of the biggest games of the season.

“I respect how hard they are working and how focused they are. We are at home, we expect to go through and we will then look to the next challenge.”

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