Brendan Rodgers flags up new Celtic fixture concern

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called on footballing authorities to help clubs facing fixture congestion amidst potential injury concerns.

Brendan Rodgers believes league officials can do more to assist teams facing potential fixture congestion.

For example, Celtic’s Champions League group stage opponents, Atletico Madrid, have only one game scheduled on Friday against Las Palmas between next week’s Group E tie.

In comparison Celtic face St Mirren tonight at Celtic Park and Ross County away in Dingwall on Saturday ahead of next Tuesday’s clash against Atletico. Historically, La Liga bosses have shifted fixtures around to help sides prepare for European games, a concept that Scottish football officials have yet to be adopt.

Rodgers said: [The Sun] “The one thing I would always ask is if there’s ever a possibility to help the clubs.

“It always seems to be a challenge in British football when it comes to federations actually helping the teams. We played here last Wednesday. We played on the Sunday before that, and Atletico Madrid played on the Saturday.

“So 24 hours is absolutely massive for recovery. It’s not rocket science to know in the last 15 minutes you might be fatiguing a wee bit due to that day less recovery.

“If you look at the next time we play Atletico, they traditionally play on a Sunday, but they are playing on a Friday night. We have got Dingwall on the Saturday, then we are out there on the Tuesday.”

Celtic also face Dundee away on Boxing Day in an away post-Christmas fixture for the seventh year in a row. A startling fact for Celtic supporters who have had to travel such distances away from Celtic Park in yet another confusing conundrum for Scottish football officials.

The Hoops also arguably have had the most difficult fixture schedule start to a Scottish Premiership season in recent memory.

With only 10 games into the Scottish Premiership Celtic have already faced the likes of Aberdeen, Rangers, Livingston, Motherwell, Hearts and Hibernian away.

With such tough fixture schedule facing the Hoops, it’s a credit to the team that they are clear at the top of the table.