BRENDAN RODGERS has hinted crocked centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers could make a surprise comeback to his Champions League squad tomorrow night.
The defender hasn’t figured since coming off at the interval of the 3-1 Premiership win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on August 13 after suffering a muscular injury.
The rock in the heart of the Hoops’ rearguard has missed seven successive games, but Rodgers has opened the door for a return as he prepares for the visit of Lazio for the second Group E encounter following the 2-0 loss to Feyenoord in Rotterdam a fortnight ago.
Swedish new Bhoy Gustaf Lagerbielke was red-carded along with midfielder Odin Holm against the Dutch club and both are automatically suspended for the meeting with the Serie A outfit at Parkhead.
IN WITH A SHOUT…Cameron Carter-Vickers could make a surprise comeback.
Rodgers has Liam Scales and Nat Phillips available and Carter-Vickers could be set for step up.
The Hoops boss said: “We wouldn’t take a risk unless he was fit. Cam has come through really, really well. He is further down the road than we thought.
“He has had a real good week of training and he’s been doing lots of other work out on the field before that.
“I said before that his return might have been after the international break, but he’s made great progress, so we will just assess that to see if he can be in for the squad tomorrow and if he is, then obviously it would be great news for us.”
Looking at the match against Maurizio Sarri’s side at a packed Celtic Park, Rodgers, speaking to the media, added: “It is such a special feeling and it was part of coming back.
“You have the chance here at Celtic to qualify for European football and this is the biggest stage you can get at club football in Europe.
EURO STAR…Brendan Rodgers is plotting a Champions League win at Parkhead.
“We got off to, in terms of a result, not a great start in the first game, but I saw many aspects I was pleased with.
“To come here and play this game is always special and it is about getting that emotion from the support that rolls down from the stand onto the pitch.”
Rodgers added: “For us, from the first whistle, we go straight into fifth gear and look to give everything to the game and perform and we know at this level, teams like ourselves have to be at 100 per cent.
“To be at 98 per cent, at this level, you will come unstuck, so we have to give everything and we will do in terms of spirit and it is where this team is at and what they are developing. The mental strength in this team is growing all the time.
“With new players coming, they are starting to understand that. In our last league game, we showed that we have a real competitive spirit and no matter what time in the game it is, we will keep going.”
