Rodgers now has selection decisions to make after adding quality to Celtic squad

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The Celtic Star

·12. September 2024

Rodgers now has selection decisions to make after adding quality to Celtic squad

A manager with multiple options for selection is often described as having a nice problem to solve and a look at the bench from Celtic’s 3-0 Derby ‘skelping of theRangers would indicate Brendan Rodgers has a series of fortunate dilemmas to resolve ahead of Saturday’s visit from winless Hearts…

With Celtic’s transfer business concluded very late on in the window, the likes of Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, Luke McCowan and Alex Valle, all found themselves starting on the bench against the latest Ibrox club. You would expect that to change, particularly given some of the fees and wages expended on the new talent, but Brendan Rodgers has some tough calls ahead.

Celtic have had a really encouraging start to the season, sitting top of the league and already five points ahead of last season’s runners up, with Aberdeen starting almost as strongly as the Hoops but arguably having faced weaker opponents to date.

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The advantage the Dons have is having no European football to test the strength of their squad depth, meanwhile Celtic start their Champions League campaign against Slovan Bratislava in midweek and will regularly play two games a week until late January next year.

Celtic v theRangers – Celtic’s Auston Trusty arriving before the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

As such the use of the squad is likely to be tested to the maximum which will leave Brendan Rodgers with something of a dilemma. You could assume expensive acquisitions had big fees and hefty wages attached because the manager saw them improving the first eleven – and therefore may be expected to come straight into the team. Yet dropping any newbies in against Hearts may be seen as unfair on the players who have taken Celtic to such an impressive start to the season.

Celtic v theRangers – Liam Scales battles for the ball during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

The likes of Greg Taylor, Liam Scales and Paulo Bernardo are perhaps the ones looking over their shoulder but it’s hard to say any of them need rested and all are in excellent form already.

You would also assume a Champions League game is not the ideal place to start blooding in fresh faces so we could almost assume the team which starts against Hearts will be almost identical to the one with faces Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night.

So how does Brendan Rodgers play his hand? Does he stick with the winning formula and play the hot hands or does he select the new guys straight off the bat and get them 90 minutes under the belt before the big European nights start against Slovan Bratislava?

Celtic v theRangers – Arne Engels during the match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

It’s no easy call. Hearts may have started the season poorly but this is a team that won at Celtic Park last season. Meanwhile Slovan Bratislava may be viewed as an excellent opportunity to start our European campaign with three points, but let’s be honest, Bratislava will also view a visit to Glasgow as an opportunity to get off the mark on matchday one of the new format Champions League.

As such an argument could be made for fielding the signings now and allowing them a run of games with a view to being settled in before that massive away tie in Dortmund on Tuesday 1st October.

It’s a nice headache to have of course for the Celtic manager and I guess that’s why he’s paid the big bucks but it’s a series of decisions I’m glad he’s the man to take, because I would struggle to know just how to play this one – how about you?

Niall J

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