RB Leipzig vs Celtic - Injuries make Europa League tie tough proposition for Celtic
Posted Thursday, October 25, 2018 by PA
Brendan Rodgers has urged his Celtic players not to be frightened to make mistakes against RB Leipzig on Thursday night.
The Hoops boss will have to dig into his squad for the Europa League Group B game in the Red Bull Arena with a growing injury list.
Midfielder Tom Rogic joined the list of absentees which includes the suspended James Forrest, injured skipper Scott Brown and striker Leigh Griffiths, while defender Filip Benkovic is a doubt.
Rodgers, whose side have three points from their first two fixtures, challenged those fringe players to make their mark after a 3-1 defeat to Salzburg in their last European outing.
Speaking at RB Leipzig’s stadium, the Northern Irishman said: “We have a few injuries. Scott will probably be out for two to three weeks which of course is disappointing. It’s a low grade calf strain.
“We have a few other players. Leigh hasn’t returned to training and Tom Rogic hasn’t travelled – he has an issue with his knee. We’re managing Filip Benkovic so we’ll see how he is over the next 24 hours.
“We have one or two issues but it’s OK, we have a number of young players who have been training very hard and working hard to have the opportunity to play. So we look forward to seeing them.
“Naturally, over the couple of games it’s important to get results. After the last time in Salzburg – OK we lost the game but I want to see a better performance.
“It’s key coming into these games that we think about performing well. When we play to that quality and players play with confidence then we have a much greater chance of getting a result.
“It’s about going and performing and taking that confidence of going to play and not being frightened to make mistakes.
“We’re playing against one of the top teams in Germany but we still have to show our way of playing and when we do that we know we can cause problems. That’s what we’re looking to do, perform well and then look at getting a result from that.”
Celtic are behind Leipzig on goal difference in Group B and their boss Ralf Rangnick believes they are playing for second place, behind Austrian outfit Salzburg.
Rangnick said: “It looks like these two teams will be fighting for second spot.
“Salzburg have won both their games and I would expect them to win both matches against Rosenborg.
“It looks like this and Celtic Park will be decisive to finish second and qualify from the group. These games will be very important.
“We want to win this match and also achieve a positive result at Celtic Park. So, yes, both teams are fighting for second spot in this group.”
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