Tough decision for Brendan Rodgers as Celtic face Club Brugge

It was some weekend for Celtic. They secured a superb 4-1 away win against Hearts at Tynecastle Park after a much improved second-half performance. Before that late kickoff, Aberdeen had lost at St Mirren and the Rangers were booed off the Ibrox pitch after a draw against Dundee United. The results could not have gone better for the Hoops.

The Premiership points gap finally opened to three ahead of Aberdeen, and 11 points with the Rangers. The pressure was certainly mounted upon Philippe Clement, who remains in place, for now anyway, despite a flurry of rumours on Sunday suggesting otherwise.

Brendan Rodgers though will have been able to relax on Sunday as he and the squad prepare for their next challenge. That comes at Celtic Park on Wednesday against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Rodgers should have a full squad available and plenty of options for key positions. Saturday's win will have given him plenty to consider for his midfield selection on Wednesday. 

Tough decision for Brendan Rodgers as Celtic face Club Brugge

Paulo Bernardo had a great impact when he came on as a substitute. The Celtic passing seemed sharper through him. He also gave Reo Hatate more freedom to play. But Arne Engles has shown plenty of promise too, and of course, Luke McCowan has also showcased his quality when he has had a chance to play. Tough decisions for Rodgers lie ahead, but it’s a situation he relishes. 

Club Brugge will be tough opponents. Their 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier in the competition is a good reminder of what they are capable of. They also scored seven goals with a clean sheet at the weekend against Sint-Truidense V.V. 

Celtic fans should also get the chance to see a player the club were linked to in the summer of 2023. Ardon Jashari instead signed for the Belgian side from Luzern despite many reckoning the Hoops were heavily interested. We’ll see how he compares against the current midfield trio.

There won't be a chance to see a past hero back on the Parkhead pitch. Dedryk Boyata has been at Club Brugge since 2022 when he signed from Hertha Berlin.

He is out of favour at Club Brugge though, he won't be playing on Wednesday as he hasn't been named in their registered Champions League squad. That avoids the awkward scenario of an ex-player scoring against the side this week anyway. It also means one less distraction for Rodgers and his team as they focus on getting a win.