BRENDAN Rodgers is confident Celtic striker Moussa Dembele is poised the rediscover the form that drew the attention of Europe’s largest clubs last season and can be their match winner against Zenit St Petersburg.
Dembele was linked with multi-million pound moves to England after scoring in three consecutive games against Rangers as well as in Champions League meetings with Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
However, the 21-year-old has only netted nine times in the 2017/18 campaign amid speculation that he was agitating for a move to a Barclays Premier League club during the January transfer window.
Rodgers, though, feels the French forward, who has been singled out as the danger man by Zenit manager Roberto Mancini, has overcome his on and off-field issues and can become a regular scorer again now that he is fit and is set to stay at Parkhead until the summer at least.
Asked if Dembele could be the match winner for the home team this evening, Rodgers said: “That is definitely the case where the big players make the big contribution. What you are hoping is that the players can, whether it is Zenit or Partick, have the same concentration and try to get the job done as best they can.
“It can’t all solely be on him. For us to do anything at this level it has to be as a team. He has shown enough of his gifts to us, but I think he has been unfortunate this season with injury and then through December and January.
“He is beyond all that now and he is back on track and working hard. His focus and concentration is good and when he is at that level then he is a real handful and he is one of the top young strikers about. Hopefully he can stay clear of injury and get the opportunity to do that.”
Rodgers added: “It is confidence, isn’t it? He has just been really unfortunate at times. He has picked up injuries at the wrong times, but last year he had a fantastic season.
“He got injured in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup which opened the door up for Leigh (Griffiths) and then Leigh finished the season really well. He came back into pre-season and it was a bit hit and miss in terms of injury again.
“It has been difficult for him to get into his flow in the season, but he looks up to speed now and much more happier with the contribution that he is making.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers, who looks set to field Jozo Simunovic and Kristoffer Ajer at centre half with Dedryck Boyata and Nir Bitton both out injured, stressed that he is hopeful the players he selects at the back can cut out the defensive errors which have crept into Celtic’s play in recent weeks.
“When you work here, and we have to be real, you are not going to get a 25 or 26-year-old centre-half who is at the top of his game,” he said.
“You are either going to have a young player that you are nurturing, developing and coaching and putting into these situations to be better, such as Simunovic, Ajer, (Jack) Hendry, to be better.
“Of course, it is a harsh environment to be trying to learn in, but that’s where we are at and we have to always find ways to help the players improve, be better find the solutions when they do have issues in games.
“Hendry is a boy who, in time, will be ready for that. He’ll be involved in the squad. This is the job. You have to develop them and get them through.”
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