Celtic boss explains why he dropped €5 million signing

Celtic have been dealing with a long list of injury problems at the very start of this season. A number of their important players are out on the sidelines for the foreseeable future and Brendan Rodgers will need to find a way to navigate through the upcoming fixtures. The win away at Ibrox might have been a major boost for this team but there are many more important games coming up as well, including the UEFA Champions League group stages.

Celtic did not win a single game in the Champions League last season and will surely be looking to improve upon that this time around. They have been placed in the same group as Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord.

Amidst all this, Celtic’s squad for the UEFA Champions League group stages has been revealed. And there are a few unexpected omissions.

Three summer signings have been left out in the form of Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio and Kwon Hyeok-kyu. The former two have been dealing with injury problems while the latter just has not been able to make an impression since arriving.

Celtic boss explains why he dropped €5 million signing

As reported by Football Scotland, Rodgers said about his selection:

"“Obviously you’re looking at a number of things, you have eight associated home-trained players which leaves you 17. So you’re then having to strategically look it at and the players that are going to come in and the players where you need cover.“And then obviously you’re weighing up injuries as well. How long are they going to be out for? And obviously, the likes of Maik will be out for a period of time.“So those are the type of things you’re looking at when you’re picking the squad.”"

Nawrocki arrived this summer from Legia Warsaw for a transfer fee believed to be around €5 million. He was constantly starting games but ended up picking up an injury at the worst possible time.

Now, it remains to be seen when he will be back in action. But it does not look like he is close to a return, considering he was left out of the Champions League squad but Cameron Carter-Vickers, who is also out injured, has been included.

Of course, missing out on the Champions League squad would be a blow for Nawrocki. These are the games you want to play in when you sign for Celtic. But he is just 22 years of age and there will be many more opportunities in the future.