Celtic have finalised their Champions League squad for the league phase of the competition as they prepare for their latest European adventure.
The Bhoys have been drawn against Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge and Young Boys at home. Meanwhile, stiff away tests against Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa set the scene for a fascinating few months.
In their third consecutive year featuring in Europe’s premier competition, Brendan Rodgers will hope his side can improve on their total of four points achieved last year.
New arrivals throughout the summer will help his cause, but the real hard work starts on September 18th when Slovan Bratislava travel to Celtic Park.
Now, the moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived after the Bhoys named their squad for the Champions League league phase.
Celtic’s confirmed Champions League squad
Per the UEFA website, Celtic’s Champions League squad has been selected and is now visible after the deadline for submissions passed last night.
As follows, 67 Hail Hail runs through the men selected by position as the Bhoys prepare to take on the cream of the crop in Europe.
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Scott Bain
Defenders: Alistair Johnston, Greg Taylor, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alex Valle, Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh, Liam Scales, Adam Montgomery, Maik Nawrocki
Midfielders: Luis Palma, Nicolas Kuhn, Hyunjun Yang, Luke McCowan, Callum McGregor, Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, James Forrest, Reo Hatate
Forwards: Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Adam Idah
More details will be set to arrive in due course. However, from the squad available, Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Adam Montgomery appear to be five ‘club-trained’ players selected by Celtic. Clubs must have a minimum of four.
In short, they have been on the books at Celtic Park for three years between the ages of 15 and 21, so they slot in with that status.
Alongside them, Luke McCowan, Greg Taylor and Scott Bain form a three-man pool of ‘association-trained’ players, with the trio all playing in Scotland between 15 and 21, fitting the requirement of having a minimum of eight ‘locally-trained’ stars registered.
Odin Thiago Holm has missed out on the squad
With those eight qualifying as locally trained in one way or another, the remaining space has gone to 17 players you would suspect could have an impact across the league phase.
Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm hasn’t been included in the List A squad. Despite being born after 1st January 2003, which is the cut-off point to be eligible for List B selection, he hasn’t been at the club since his 15th birthday or present in Glasgow for an uninterrupted period of two years.
Despite his absence, there are no glaring omissions from the Celtic squad as they prepare to fight for a knockout berth in the Champions League.
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