Brendan Rodgers has challenged Celtic to take their recreation to the following degree towards Borussia Dortmund within the Champions League on Tuesday night.
On a run of 9 straight victories in all competitions, the Scottish champions face their greatest take a look at of the marketing campaign up to now towards final season’s crushed finalists.
However they are going to head into the 80,000-capacity Sign Iduna Park with out Cameron Carter-Vickers after the influential central defender succumbed to a toe damage.
After ten years with no victory in Europe’s elite competitors, Celtic have now gained their final two – towards Slovan Bratislava final month and Feyenoord final December – and Rodgers has urged his gamers to point out they’re able to step it up towards the continent’s greatest groups.
‘For us, it’s trying to carry our recreation to the following degree,’ stated the Celtic boss.
‘I believe how we’ve been performing, over in all probability the final six, seven months, has simply been rising.
Rodgers admits gamers should take their recreation to a different degree towards Dortmund
Celtic have been hampered by an damage to high defender Carter-Vickers, who misses out
The Scottish champions will count on a high efficiency from report signing Arne Engels
‘Now we’ve come to this degree and we’re beneath no illusions. We’re taking part in towards a staff which can be difficult on the very high finish of elite soccer.
‘Whether or not it’s domestically, or whether or not it’s away on this competitors, it’s (about) making us a extremely tough staff to play towards – with and with out the ball.
‘I’m not in search of perfection, I’m simply in search of us to be actually, actually tough to play towards and provides all the things we now have.
‘It’s the second of eight video games. No matter occurs after this recreation, we’ll arrive again into the altering room and I nonetheless know that I’ve obtained an excellent staff, (one) that’s nonetheless obtained a whole lot of development to make – however what an incredible take a look at for us.
‘I’m very relaxed, however targeted on (getting) a consequence that may construct on the primary recreation’s consequence.’
Rodgers provides his views on the Champions League press convention earlier than tie in Germany
Kasper Schmeichel seems to be relaxed regardless of big problem awaiting in Dortmund
Kyogo Furuhashi has been recognized as one of many primary threats by Borussia Dortmund
Celtic may have to take action with out Carter-Vickers, who missed a lot of final season’s Champions League marketing campaign by damage. Historical past now threatens to repeat itself after the US worldwide didn’t journey with the squad.
New £5million signing Auston Trusty deputised in Saturday’s 6-0 win over St Johnstone and can maintain the fort whereas Carter-Vickers recovers.
‘Clearly he (Carter Vickers) is a high class participant for us,’ stated Rodgers. ‘He’s missed a little bit little bit of Champions League soccer in his time.
5 of the 12 video games that the membership has performed, he’s sadly not been capable of play in. However, sure, we’ve obtained different gamers.
It’s all the time a possibility for another person to come back in and hopefully we will get Cam again sooner moderately than later.
‘However we will’t overthink it. We are going to depend on a collective. There’s not one participant that brings our outcomes and the way we’ve been this season.
In fact, he’s an important participant. However, for us to get a consequence tomorrow night, it is going to be by the collective.
‘This degree is as a lot concerning the head as it’s about talent. Bringing that high quality that we present domestically and with the ability to take it out into this superb enviornment and taking part in with that confidence. And, if we will do this, we could be a actually tough staff to play towards tomorrow night time.’
