BRENDAN Rodgers last night admitted Dedryck Boyata may have to undergo a scan on the knee injury he suffered during Celtic’s match against Slavia Prague ahead of their first Champions League qualifier.
Boyata fell to the ground it agony and held his face in his hands before being helped off the pitch after an innocuous challenge from opposing player Josef Husbauer just before half-time in a pre-season friendly in the Eden Arena in Prague.
The Belgian defender, who established himself as the Parkhead club’s first choice centre half last season, left the stadium on crutches and with his knee in brace and Rodgers confirmed he could have suffered ligament damage.
“We’re unsure how bad it is,” he said. “We just need to see. He obviously has pain in the knee. It was a block tackle. That can sometimes open up the ligament in the knee. Obviously when he put the weight on it he was in a bit of pain. We will see how it looks.
“He had such a good season last season and then he started really well this season in terms of getting his fitness up. He is a boy who has been plagued with injuries. When I came in last year he was injured.
“So the last thing he will want is to be injured for another part of the season with us. It is an important season for us and it is an important season for him with the World Cup coming up. He will want to be in the best possible form he can be in. We will see how it is when we get back.”
Asked if he would have a scan on his knee, Rodgers said: “It depends on the pain that he is in. But looking at in from experience it tells me that he probably will have a scan, just precautionary, so we can see what is up.
“There wasn’t a massive impact. It was two players coming together from a short distance away. Hopefully, it will be nothing too serious.”
The timing of the injury is far from ideal as Celtic will play their opening European game next week. However, Rodgers, whose side drew 0-0 with the Czech champions in their third pre-season game, is confident he will be able to cope without his first choice centre half.
“It’s okay,” he said. “We have to deal with it. We have got other players. Of course, we want them all fit, we want them all available, but if they aren’t it’s okay. We will change it and look at a different way of working.
“I’m not overly concerned. I have got Mika (Mikael Lustig) who can play there. In European football Kieran Tierney can play there."
Meanwhile, Rodgers stressed he was unconcerned about reports linking Southampton with Celtic and Scotland midfielder Kieran Tierney.
“With Stu and Moussa (Dembele) and others there’s obviously lots of gossip and speculation and agents will be drumming up interest," he said.
“Whether it’s Moussa, Stuart or KT - it’s out of my control. Most of the players are signed to long-term deals, but Stu has a year to run. We’re in negotiations and hopefully that can get done again.
“Stuart is a great boy and one I want to keep. Hopefully over the course of this pre-season he has an extension and a new deal.”
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