Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had been in conversation ahead of the Bhoys’ trip to face Kilmarnock tomorrow as they get their teeth back into Scottish Premiership action.
While the dust is now settling on the Bhoys’ superb Champions League victory over Leipzig, Rugby Park represents the final assignment for Brendan Rodgers before the international break.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty didn’t train for Celtic in the lead-up to the clash, instead spending their Friday doing some ‘light work’ inside after a gruelling fixture schedule, with an assessment on the American duo to be made today.
Other than that, the reigning Scottish Premiership champions appear to be in fine nick as they make the short trip to Ayrshire, knowing they may need three points to secure their spot at the summit amid Aberdeen’s clash with Dundee this evening.
While Leipzig has everyone on a high, Kasper Schmeichel has made it clear there is no room for slacking as Celtic again enter the field tomorrow.
Kasper Schmeichel on the Celtic demand against Kilmarnock
Speaking yesterday on media duty, Schmeichel made it clear that football is always about the next game and Celtic cannot afford to get into a mindset of complacency with important points at stake.
He stated: “A fairly different challenge comes now, away to Kilmarnock and all the challenges it brings, with the pitch and everything else. In modern football, you have to be on your game in every single game.
“There are no easy games and we are in no way expecting an easy game on Sunday. That’s the beauty and the challenge of playing at a club like Celtic. You have to be able to adapt to all the different competitions you’re in.
“You have to be able to cope with that demand, the physical demand, the mental demand. We’ve shown all the way through the season, up to now, that we’ve been able to do that.
“Now it’s a new challenge. Like I say, Tuesday’s gone. We’re not thinking of that anymore. That was a great night, a fantastic night for all of us, but at midnight, we park that and we move on to the next one.’
“Honestly, modern football now, there are so many games. If you’re not in the now, if you’re not in the present, then you lose focus.”
Celtic have the right mindset ahead of facing Kilmarnock
At Celtic, you can never take your eye off the ball, as there is always someone waiting in the wings for a scalp. That is the expectation at a big club; it is unavoidable.
However, adopting the right mentality can help the Bhoys come through the other side. Rugby Park is typically a difficult place to gain a result, meaning they will need to be at their best to combat factors such as playing on an artificial surface and potentially suffering a European hangover.
Hopefully, Rodgers and company can put in another strong performance before round off for the international break.
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