Celtic Champions League squad axe sends another home truth to Parkhead star after Rodgers' brutal assessment

Brendan Rodgers has named his Celtic squad for the Champions League and one star hasn’t made the grade after a frank assessment from the gaffer.

The Irishman has named summer signings like Arne Engels and Auston Trusty in his side, while fringe men such as Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh are also included. One man who is not involved is Odin Thiago Holm, who appeared in the Champions League last season after his 2023 summer arrival.

After minutes in pre-season, the midfielder’s action has been limited in the competitive field. It’s another home truth for the Norwegian star to swallow after Rodgers, speaking about him and Bosun Lawal now at Stoke City in July, brutally admitted he needed to work harder to make the Celtic grade.

Rodgers said: “They need to be a much higher level. If you’re going to play for Celtic, you have to be. Odin needs to do more. There’s something there, though, absolutely.

“And that’s why we persevere, and that’s why we stay with it, because he has talent, like Bosun Lawal, and that’s why we want to give them the opportunity, so I can see them in pre-season. But, it’s just running more. You have to run. Without the ball, you’ve got to run, you’ve got to be bright, you’ve got to be in good positions to press the game, then to get the ball and take the ball.

“You see Francis Turley when he comes into the game the other night. It’s a kid I’ve only seen for a couple of days, and if he can progress and get his body right, then he’ll be a proper player. It’s a kid that moves well.

“You see how he moves, how he takes the ball, makes runs, he’s bright, he gets in the box, gets a finish. He just needs to get more power and energy, but that’s football, that’s movement, that’s taking the ball, that’s being clever.

“So I think the two boys (Holm and Lawal) that you mentioned have talent. But I want more. A lot more. Talent not just enough. You can play in teams, but not in our team.”

Celtic Champions League squad

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Scott Bain

Defenders: Alistair Johnston, Greg Taylor, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty, Alex Valle, Maik Nawrocki, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh

Midfielders: Reo Hatate, Luis Palma, Nicolas Kuhn, Yang Hyun-jun, Luke McCowan, Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Adam Montgomery

Forwards: Kyogo Furuhashi, Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda