Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic are coming to the boil nicely for the title run-in as he prepares to welcome captain Callum McGregor back for Sunday바카라s mouthwatering showdown with city rivals Rangers. (More Football News)
The Hoops have been hindered by injuries to key men throughout the campaign but the possible return of winger Luis Palma and their influential skipper could restore them to full strength for the trip to Ibrox.
McGregor has been sidelined for the last four matches with an Achilles issue sustained in the 7-1 win over Dundee at the end of February, and Rodgers is relishing the prospect of having the 30-year-old back in the frame at a time when Celtic hold a one-point advantage over a Gers side with a game in hand.
바카라We바카라ll do one final run with Callum tomorrow in our last session but he바카라s done remarkable to be back, he바카라s way ahead of schedule from what we thought,바카라 said Rodgers, who cut a relaxed figure during his pre-match media briefing on Friday.
바카라It just shows you his professionalism and how hard he바카라s worked so he바카라ll be involved in the squad, and if he is, then it바카라s great news for us in every capacity because we바카라ll have a clean bill of health, really, for probably the first time this season. But we바카라ll make a final call on that tomorrow.
바카라He바카라s the type of player who can probably get by at 80 per cent. He has that level, that quality. But you also have to think about the fact there are remaining games throughout the season.
바카라It바카라s just about being logical and finding out where he바카라s at with all his tests and measurements. He바카라s been training, and clearly his quality is there, but we just have to gauge whether he starts, whether he comes into the game or what involvement he has.바카라
Celtic won 1-0 on their last visit to Ibrox back in September without influential players like Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate, so Rodgers 바카라 who clearly feels his team have adopted the role of underdogs in the title race 바카라 is heartened by the prospect of going across the city with his full squad available.
바카라The squad is much stronger (than September),바카라 he said. 바카라Just piecing together what the team and bench might be, we are going to have a bench that can really affect the game if needed.
바카라That power, pace and quality. We have a lot of tools that we didn바카라t have available earlier in the season but still, the mindset is important in these games and we go with a positive mind.
바카라They바카라re always big games and that바카라s what I바카라ve always relished and loved. Celtic v Rangers, Rangers v Celtic, they바카라re always fantastic games. The storyline for me is always about opportunity.
바카라I go back to the first game (at Ibrox). It wasn바카라t just a good lesson in football, but also in life because in that first game individually, collectively, as a club we were written off arriving into Ibrox, and it feels as if the narrative is pretty much the same, even though both teams are on four wins and a loss from their last five games.
바카라For me, it바카라s about the opportunity to go there and, like what we did earlier in the season and what we have done on a number of occasions, show that we have that mentality to get through any difficult moments in the game for us, but then come through in the end. That will be our focus this weekend.바카라
With another derby to come at Celtic Park after the split, Rodgers does not see Sunday바카라s game as make-or-break for either team.
바카라There will still be six games for us, so there are still a lot of games,바카라 he said. 바카라It might not seem a lot of games but it is a lot of games in a football context because so much can change in those six games.
바카라My focus is purely on getting a positive result and then we can assess it afterwards.
바카라This is an important game for both teams. Our mindset is to go and do what we did earlier in the season, which is to win.바카라
