BRENDAN RODGERS has told his Celtic players he is NOT seeking perfection when they square up to Borussia Dortmund tomorrow night.
However, the Hoops boss is insisting his team raise to the Champions League occasion and make life extremely difficult for their Bundesliga opponents at the 81,000-capacity Westfalenstadion.
Rodgers will be without defensive rock Cameron Carter-Vickers for the second successive game after the USA international centre-back called off with the foot injury that sidelined him from the 6-0 win over St Johnstone in Perth at the weekend.
After witnessing the team’s 5-1 romp over Slovan Bratislava at Parkhead on match day one of Europe’s elite tournament, the Irishman remains realistic about what his players can expect and how they must respond on this occasion.
Rodgers said: “For us, it’s looking to bring our game to the next level. I think how we’ve been performing over probably the last six, seven months has just been increasing.
“Now we’ve come to this level and we’re under no illusions about what we’re playing against. This is a team that are challenging the very top end of elite football.
“I’ve always said, whether it’s domestically or whether it’s away in this competition, it’s making us a really difficult team to play against with and without the ball.
“So, that’s what we want to be able to do. I’m not looking for perfection, I’m just looking for us to be really, really difficult to play against and give everything we have.
“Bring our game, which is to press, to fight, to run. We know at times that quality drives you back and then it’s having that resilience in those moments.”
The Hoops gaffer, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “We also know that we have a game that can hurt teams, as well, with our football and our speed. So, I’m really excited about seeing that.
“I will only know when I see it. Bringing that quality that we show domestically and being able to take it out into this amazing arena and playing with that confidence, with that belief and that courage.
“I don’t doubt that with this team and what I’ve seen now over a period of time. It’s something that we’ll know we’ll have to face stress in the game and face pressure, but that happens to even the very best teams.”
Rodgers expressed regret that Carter-Vickers, who didn’t even make the flight, would be missing again in this extremely competitive arena.
He added: “Clearly, he’s a top-class player for us. He’s missed a little bit of Champions League football in his time. Five of the 12 games that the club has played, he’s unfortunately not been able to play in.
“But, yes, we’ve got other players. It’s always an opportunity for someone else to come in and, hopefully, we can get Cam back sooner rather than later.
“But, like I say, we can’t overthink it. We will rely on a collective. There’s not one player who brings our results and how we’ve been this season.
“Of course, he’s a very important player, Cam. But for us to get a result, it will be by the collective.”
