Brendan Rodgers shared his thoughts with *The Celtic Star* during a media conference ahead of Celtic’s Scottish Premiership match against Kilmarnock this Sunday. He reflected on Celtic Park being the ideal venue for big occasions like Tuesday night’s match, where the team delivered a remarkable performance in front of their passionate supporters.
Q: Brendan, can you give us an update on the team as we approach the weekend’s match? How is everyone looking after Tuesday’s game?
Brendan Rodgers:”Hopefully, all will be well. There are a couple of minor knocks that the medical team are monitoring, but overall the squad is in a great place both physically and mentally. We’ve got one more day before the match, so we’ll assess everything then and hope for the best.”
Q: There were reports that Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty missed training—can you confirm if there’s any concern there?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, that’s correct, they weren’t training, but it was more precautionary. After a series of physically demanding games, we just gave them some extra recovery. They were doing lighter work indoors, and we’ll see how they feel tomorrow.”
Q: It must be exciting for the team after such a high-performance win on Tuesday night.
Brendan Rodgers: “Absolutely. The win against Atalanta, following our performance on Saturday that got us to the League Cup final, was a big moment for us domestically. But Tuesday night was something special. To go up against such a high-level opponent in a game many have called a ‘generational’ match, the players really delivered. It’s been a long process over the past year, building up to this, including the lessons we learned from previous games in the Champions League. While the results weren’t always in our favour last season, we kept focusing on the process. Watching our team in action, so aggressive both with and without the ball, against one of the best teams in Europe, was incredibly satisfying. The players, the club, and the fans have every reason to feel proud. But now we’ve got to refocus on the league and prepare for Kilmarnock.”
Q: As a manager, does the excitement come from knowing there’s still plenty of room for growth, especially early in the season?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, absolutely. It’s always been my philosophy to help players grow and develop, no matter what the scoreline is. Even when we’re winning, we have a responsibility to keep improving. A win like Tuesday night does wonders for confidence, and the performance level, both offensively and defensively, gives us a great foundation to build on. But I also know that there’s still plenty of room for improvement, for the team as a whole and for individual players. Over the coming months, we’ll keep getting better.”
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