Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says he plans to rotate his defence throughout the season
Wednesday 26 October 2016 12:09, UK
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted he will continue rotating centre-backs Jozo Simunovic and Kolo Toure.
The pair have been taking it in turns throughout the campaign to play alongside Erik Sviatchenko at the heart of the Celtic defence.
Simunovic seemed certain to leave Celtic Park in the last transfer window when he held talks with Torino, but the deal fell through when the Italian club attempted change the initial agreement with Celtic.
The 22-year-old has impressed Rodgers since his return from an eight-month lay-off with a knee injury and gave an assured display in Sunday's League Cup semi-final win over Rangers at Hampden.
Former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender Toure has been solid for the Hoops since his arrival in the summer apart from two costly errors against Borussia Monchengladbach last week.
But the 35-year-old is likely to play in Germany next week and, as Rodgers insists he has to ease Simunovic through the early months of the campaign, there is likely to be rotation in the games against Ross County and Aberdeen on Wednesday and Saturday respectively.
Rodgers said: "Erik has been outstanding at centre-half, he is one you can see great improvements in each day as he builds his technique and tactical ability.
"He has been great, Mikael Lustig and Kieran Tierney have been regulars, both of those have been outstanding.
"The little change has been with Kolo and Jozo. Jozo, I believe, will be a top-class talent, but has been out for a long time, so it's about managing his games. You can't afford when you have been out so long, to throw someone in to three games a week with the intensity and tempo we try to play at.
"But he is a class act, on Sunday he was composed and calm and showed great qualities.
"Kolo has come in with great experience, played in big games for us and done really well, but it's about managing his game time.
"The defence have kept four clean sheets in six or seven games so they are improving that stability within the team."
Celtic's meeting with Ross County at Dingwall is the first of 16 in a nine-week period for the Hoops.
