Celtic will travel to Germany to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Ahead of the match, Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that the Bhoys will be without Cameron Carter-Vickers for this game, with the defender still struggling with injury problems.
The centre-back has been suffering from a foot injury for a while and was playing through a pain barrier. He was taken off during the 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, and he has been nursing his injury since.
This is arguably Celtic’s biggest game of the season, and the Bhoys will be disappointed to miss a “top-class player”.
Rodgers said in the pre-match press conference: “Cam is not available. We’ll see what he’s like going into next weekend, but he’s not here for this one.
“Clearly he’s a top-class player for us and he’s missed a little bit of Champions League football I think in his time, five of the 12 games the club has played he has unfortunately not been able to play in.”
Celtic to focus on collective responsibility
The Bhoys have made a fantastic start to the season, winning nine games on the trot in all competitions.
They have already won their opening game in the Champions League and should be in full confidence against Dortmund, who has made a stuttering to their Bundesliga campaign so far.
However, last season’s Champions League runners-up can be dangerous in European games and they can hurt Celtic badly, especially at home. The Signal Iduna Park is a special stadium, and the fans can produce a great atmosphere.
It is important for the Celtic players not to get swayed by emotion. They will have a game plan and it is important to stick to the plan.
Rodgers said that instead of focussing on Carter-Vicker’s injury, he is focussing on collective display. In his absence, United States international Auston Trusty should replace him.
He has played against Falkirk and St Johnstone and looks set to be handed his first Champions League start on Tuesday night.
In other Celtic news, Keith Jackson has predicted the scoreline of the Hoops’ clash vs Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
