Brendan Rodgers admits Celtic squad isn't ready for Champions League with searingly honest transfer truth

Brendan Rodgers admits Celtic squad isn't ready for Champions League with searingly honest transfer truth

The Hoops boss has not hidden his desire to add to his squad but he's still in confident mood ahead of Kairat clash

Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers admits his Celtic squad is not yet ready for the Champions League – but it is strong enough to kill off Kairat Almaty.

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The Hoops will face the Kazakhstan champs in tomorrow/tonight’s £40m play-off showdown having failed to land top quality replacements for departed Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn and injured Jota.

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Rodgers refused to rule out linking up with Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy with the 38-year-old free agent understood to be keen on a move to Parkhead.

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The Celtic boss admitted he wanted to have reinforcements on board before the crunch Kairat clash. But he’s convinced there is enough quality on board to get the job done.

Rodgers remained tight-lipped on Vardy and said: “‘Listen I would not speak about any individual player. Of course, I've worked really well with Jamie.

"He was brilliant for me in my time at Leicester. But no, there's been so many names floated about. But I wouldn't disclose anyone.”

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Rodgers’s focus is on Kairat but he admitted Celtic would need to tool up for the group stage. He said: “Well, I think firstly, we want to qualify, of course. And if it's with this group of players, I'm confident that we can do that.

“Going forward, listen, it's clear we would have to improve the squad.”

Jamie Vardy and Brendan Rodgers at Leicester (Image: Getty Images)

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Rodgers is refusing to throw the toys out of the pram after a stuttering summer in the transfer window and he’s urged his squad to shut out the outside noise around the tie.

He said: “No, listen, I'm experienced. I've been here long enough, and I understand where we're at. So I'm not going to get too frustrated about it, because I can't really control a lot of it.

“But what I can control is the players that we have, helping them be the very best that they can be, and making sure that they're prepared, and making sure that they're ready.

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“Those players there just now have given me absolutely everything. So, I'm not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated, because that transfers onto the players that I have. And those guys, these boys have been brilliant.

“So, we're hoping that if we get somebody in or not, it'll be great. If not, then we'll go with what we've got. We'll do everything we can, and try to ensure all the details are right for the game.

“And then, see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again, which is ultimately what we want to do.

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“You're a little bit more philosophical about it. It's so important because that emotional transfer can get through with players.

“There's even more noise now around the game, not just Celtic, but around the game. But it is very much experience that helps you massively, of course.

“It's understanding. I've been doing this for quite a while now. You can control what you can in the squad of players that you have.

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Brendan Rodgers (Image: SNS Group)

“Of course, we need to push. I said it before, I want Celtic to live in the best possible place they can be on and off the pitch.

"And that's not only players. That's about infrastructure. "That is about academy.

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“That is everything to do with Celtic. Getting out the very best operation that we possibly can. And I know for that, that will always be about success on the pitch.

“When you get success on the pitch, everything else flows from that.

“So you would like to think you can be a little bit more philosophical at times.”

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Rodgers vowed to go all out against the Kazakhs to take a lead into next week’s second leg. He said: “I think it's how we play.

"We set off in every game to go and attack the game and play our football in it. And this will be no different.

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“Two of the three experiences I've had in qualification, having gone through qualification phases, has been based around a really, really good first leg (against Hapoel Beer Sheva and Astana).

‘In both of those, we scored five goals. So for us, it's really that attack and intent in the game and being really, really difficult to play against. And then hopefully, we can then take an advantage into the second leg.”

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