BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed the devastating news that Filipe Jota will be out for “six to nine months”.
Alistair Johnston will also miss Celtic’s encounter at Ibrox on Sunday and the remaining three league games against Hibs, Aberdeen and St Mirren in an effort to have him 100 per cent fit for the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday May 24.
Nicolas Kuhn faces a race to be fit to face Barry Ferguson’s side after sustaining a knock while Rodgers reassured the Hoops fans 33-goal Daizen Maeda would be fit for the derby after missing training at Lennoxtown today.
The champions sealed their fourth successive title in the 5-0 win over Dundee United at the weekend and go into the all-Glasgow confrontation with a massive 17-point advantage.
Rodgers spoke to Celtic TV about the key points and delivered the bad news on the Portuguese ace who limped off with a knee injury in the first-half of the Tannadice clash.
ON JOTA, he said: “Sadly, it’s not good news for him or for us, really. It didn’t look as bad, but when he had the scan, it looks like he’ll probably be out for six to nine months.
“He’s done his cruciate and a little bit of other damage in there. He’s quite upbeat and philosophical about it.
“Jota’s had a challenging couple of years after his move away from here to Saudi, but I have to say, he is a very positive young guy and I’m pretty sure he’ll come back from this a stronger person and player.”
ON JOHNSTON, Rodgers said: “Ali won’t be available. He’s been needing an injection into his hip that he’s had for a period of time to ensure he was ready for the Cup Final.
“So, that puts him out of the game at the weekend and most probably the St Mirren game and that gives him a few weeks then to be ready and available for Hampden.”
ON THE DERBY, the Irishman, who has seen his team beaten in two consecutive outings against their city foes, said: “This is a game which is all about pride. We’ve proved our point over the course of this season in terms of our performance level and consistency.
“I think the challenge in these games is that we’ve been so comfortable going into the games and I felt that has really disrupted our mindset.
“There can just be that little bit in the back of the mind that you’re 13 points clear or 16 points clear, so that has taken a fraction of an edge off, which you don’t want, but there’s maybe a subconscious thing there.
“We’re fighting for the pride of our team and also for our supporters because we lost the last game at Ibrox, deservedly so.
“We shouldn’t have lost the game at home, but we did and we have to make that right in the last game.
“When it was win-or-bust in the League Cup Final, we won it.”
James Forrest became the club’s most decorated player when he picked up his 26th honour on Tayside and skipper Callum McGregor is not far behind on 24 winner’s medals.
ON THE PIVOTAL PLAYERS, Rodgers added: “I think the guys who’ve been through it and especially the Scottish boys understand what it’s all about, they’ve grown up with it and they’ve been through it, so they’ll know the importance of it.
“And those two players [McGregor and Forrest] have been in numerous games and scored and performed at the highest level, so they know what it takes to play in this type of game.
“The last game at Celtic Park, we didn’t start the game and we got done very early on with a corner, so that gave Rangers something to hang on to. Then we switched off at a throw-in and very quickly we were two down.
“But the response in that game was very good. We came back and then the whole second-half we were the only team that was going to win it.
“And then we make an unfortunate slip and a mistake and they’ve finished really well.
“In a Celtic-Rangers game, there’s never a meaningless game or there’s nothing in the game, there’s everything in this game, so we have to go and prove that on the field.
“Yes, we are champions, we’re the best team, the most consistent team with the mentality, Champions League progression, all of this here, but these are important games.
“We had our little hiccup against St Johnstone and from that you see the reaction – the players have been brilliant.”
