Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has no ongoing concerns regarding Alexandro Bernabei, but did confirm that he was omitted from the squad last week after the player missed a pre-match meeting.
Reports surfaced through the week about the Argentinian being disciplined for the no-show, sparking worries that Bernabei may be a problem player heading deeper into the season.
High-profile pundit Chris Sutton, for example, was left fuming with the news, describing it as “unacceptable”.
However, Rodgers has talked up the Argentinian’s contribution in pre-season and reckons everyone can draw a line under the incident.
The Celtic manager said [The Scotsman]: “His alarm is working now. He has been brilliant in pre-season in terms of mentality and attitude and I felt for him. The very morning of the first game of the season whatever happened the alarm did not go off. I don’t have time to wait.
“If you start late in the game and you are not quite ready then the game could be dead. It’s gone. We draw a line under it. He’s a good guy. His professionalism is fantastic and there is no worry. We all make mistakes but you learn from them and you’ll be better for it.”
Bernabei was named on the bench for Sunday’s win against Aberdeen so is at least again involved with the squad. However, he didn’t feature as a substitute and is still awaiting his first competitive appearance this term.
That could come next week against Kilmarnock in the Scottish League Cup, especially with Greg Taylor not quite hitting hot form in the early stages of the new campaign.
The 22-year-old does have talent but still has a lot to learn about playing in the left-back role for Celtic – not least the defensive side of the game. Despite this setback, he has a good chance of earning plenty of minutes over the coming weeks and months.
In other news, Celtic captain Callum McGregor lauds “outstanding” new signing.
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