Brendan Rodgers says Celtic will be ready for their Champions League test, even after a tricky opening day against St Mirren.
It wasn’t until late in the game that new signing Luke McCowan stepped up with a fine finish to break the deadlock. His goal made sure Celtic started their title defence with a win and kept the Flag Day celebrations alive.
Rodgers was happy with the effort from his side but made it clear he still wants more attacking options before their big European games in the next couple of weeks.
He said: (RecordSport), “We’ll be ready for the games. Whenever they come, we’ll be ready. The players are working very hard. They are always tense games. But we’re in a good place and we’ll take that game on when it comes.
“I’m feeling really good. We’ve had a great, really, really good pre-season. The players are shaping up very well and are working very hard.
“There’s real spirit and solidarity here in the team. So we look forward to that.
“We know whoever we get, it’s going to be tough, but it will also be tough for them. And we will accept whatever challenge comes.”
With the Champions League play-off coming soon, Rodgers is counting on his team’s growing togetherness to help them through the first weeks of the season. He feels the work put in during pre-season has given them a solid base to build on.
The late winner against St Mirren might not have been the dream start for Flag Day, but it showed the team’s ability to dig deep when it matters.
Rodgers must now juggle picking up league wins while getting his side ready for the demands of Europe.
The next fortnight will be key, both in bringing in new signings and sharpening up on the training ground, to make sure Celtic are fully prepared for their Champions League push.
