As Celtic prepare for Rangers at Celtic Park on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership, Brendan Rodgers has dismissed any concerns over a potential “headache” when it comes to selecting his starting XI.

With the Hoops aiming to extend their lead at the top of the table and go 19 points clear of Barry Ferguson’s Rangers, the pressure is on. The game comes after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Hibernian yesterday afternoon, where Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah both found the back of the net, securing a spot for Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.

Rodgers Refuses to Overthink Striker Selection

Rodgers was asked whether he would lose any sleep over the decision of whether to start Maeda or Idah, both of who have been in good form recently. The Celtic boss was quick to downplay the significance of the decision, he said: (The Celtic Way), “It doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t lose sleep if the strikers don’t score, to be honest. For me, there’s a responsibility to everyone in the team. But it’s absolutely great if those guys that are paid to score goals and create goals are doing it.”

Praise for Maeda and Idah’s Contributions

Both Maeda and Idah impressed against Hibernian, and Rodgers was eager to highlight their contributions. “Daizen Maeda’s anticipation for the first goal is incredible,” he said. “The ground he makes up at such a short speed, and the space he makes up over the centre-half to get the finish was great.” Rodgers also praised Idah’s physicality and goal-scoring threat, adding, “Adam coming in, I know what he can bring. He can bring goals. He can give us that physicality when we need it.”

No Headache for Rodgers

Despite the positive performances from both forwards, Rodgers made it clear that he is not losing sleep over the selection dilemma. When asked if the situation would cause a headache ahead of the Rangers match, he responded confidently, “No, there’s no headache. I sleep well, my friend. I sleep very well. And I know the players have been great. They’ve been really, really good for me. So, I’ll pick what I think is the best team and they know that at some point, we’ll need other players to come into the game.”

With a 19-point gap at stake, Rodgers’ calm and collected approach will undoubtedly help Celtic remain focused as they aim to continue their dominant form in the Scottish Premiership this season towards a 55th league title.