Dedryck Boyata's Celtic situation 'saddens' Brendan Rodgers
Tuesday 14 August 2018 15:49, UK
Brendan Rodgers says it is "sad" he is preparing for his biggest Champions League qualifying challenge at Celtic without Dedryck Boyata.
The defender is not in Athens with the rest of the Celtic squad for the second leg of the third-round qualifier against AEK Athens - delicately poised at 1-1 - due to a back complaint amid increasing uncertainty about his future.
The player's agent Jacques Lichtenstein claimed the Parkhead club had broken promises to his client, who was the subject of a failed £9m bid from Fulham before the English transfer window closed.
"Entering the last 10 months of his contract, everyone understands that he cannot put his career at risk by playing even slightly injured or at 95 per cent," said Lichtenstein.
"Dedryck cannot put his future and his family's future in danger by playing without being 100 per cent."
Dembele on bench for CL qualifier
Rodgers, whose side drew with AEK at Parkhead in the first leg last week, refused to be drawn when asked if Boyata had played his last game for the club.
Asked how much of a distraction the Boyata issue had been, Rodgers said at the pre-match press conference in Athens: "More sad than a distraction.
"He is a player that we would have loved to have here with us.
"He is a player that has been with us over the last couple of seasons and at this time it would have been great to have him here.
"But he is not and we need to put the faith in squad that want to be here and want to play for the result.
"And that is my focus, on the players we have."
Rodgers guided the Scottish champions into the lucrative group stages of the competition in his first two years in the Hoops hot seat.
"We have had a few of those (big challenges) but no doubt this is arguably at this stage the biggest challenge," said Rodgers.
"But it is something we relish, something that we have always done.
"We have had a number of these big games. We want to show our true face in terms of the quality we can play but also the mentality and we look forward to showing that tomorrow.
"Qualification in this competition is obviously very important for us.
"We have done that in the last couple of seasons and the main reason, from a football perspective, is to compete at the highest level of the game. The Champions League is that in European football.
"We have enjoyed our experiences in it and we want that to continue. There is always the threat we may not qualify but we can't really think of that.
"We are not planning on going out, we are planning on playing well enough to get a result.
"We played well enough last week and got punished for one mistake so we have to learn from that and this group has shown in the last couple of years that they can come through that. We are excited about it."
