Brendan Rodgers Addresses Player Injuries, Fitness, and Squad Management Ahead of Dundee Match

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers addressed the media in anticipation of his team’s upcoming home match against Dundee on Wednesday night. The key points from his statements are as follows: Adam Idah is scheduled for a scan today to determine the severity of an ankle injury. This injury resulted from a challenge by Motherwell’s Liam Gordon. While Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell described Gordon’s red card as “harsh,” Rodgers expressed his belief that Kettlewell would reconsider this view, stating: “He was on the stretch, he’s off the floor and it’s a bad challenge. I don’t think you can deny that it’s not that.” Rodgers stated that he cannot dwell on the potential duration of Idah’s absence but expressed confidence in players such as Daizen Maeda to step in should the injury prove to be long-term. Captain Callum McGregor’s readiness will be evaluated; if he is not prepared for Wednesday, he will “definitely be fine for the weekend.” Cameron Carter-Vickers is confirmed to be part of the squad for Wednesday night. Rodgers commented that implementing significant alterations to the starting lineup can occasionally “make a fool of you,” yet he emphasized the necessity of squad rotation due to the demanding fixture schedule. Addressing a question regarding Aberdeen’s match against Rangers, Rodgers underscored that it is of “no concern” to him or his team. He highlighted that Celtic has a “massive” home game against Dundee and must not “think of anything else that can take away from our performance.” Despite Dundee’s recent string of unfavorable results, Rodgers noted that “teams will always give that extra bit against the champions” and his squad “have to guard against that.”