Brendan Rodgers has no doubt Kasper Schmeichel will recover from a disastrous few days. Schmeichel picked up a shoulder injury in international duty, but Rodgers is hopeful he will return. Schmeichel, now at Celtic, sustained the injury in Denmark’s 5-2 Nations League quarter-final loss to Portugal. This incident has caused him to be on the sidelines indefinitely, putting fans and management on notice.
Rodgers strongly believes that Schmeichel, known for his top-class goalkeeping skills, will bounce back despite criticisms of his performance with the Danish national team. The injury means Schmeichel will miss Celtic’s upcoming match against Kilmarnock, leaving the team to adjust their strategies accordingly.
Rodgers Backs Schmeichel’s Abilities
That’s why Brendan Rodgers brought Kasper Schmeichel to Celtic – he knows his quality. Ebbsfleet’s owner is still hopeful that Schmeichel will recover. However, he deserves major kudos for his incredible season performance. He remains hopeful that Schmeichel will soon return to pre-injury form and play with regained confidence after suffering a shoulder injury.
“We don’t know how long he’ll be out.” – Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers is still awaiting news on exactly how long Schmeichel will be out. Regardless of what follows, he insists Schmeichel is still a world-class goalkeeper who will ultimately work through this bump in the road.
Incident Overshadowed by Celebratory Controversy
While Schmeichel’s injury grabbed the headlines, a second incident that occurred during the Old Firm derby attracted a lot of attention. Vaclav Cerny’s celebratory antics after Hamza Igamane’s winning goal were deemed disrespectful by Rodgers. Cerny was then filmed playing a water pistol game with visiting Celtic fans, something that his coach Brendan Rodgers condemned as disrespectful.
“It’s a lack of respect if a player runs up a touchline and he’s squirting a water bottle in a supporter’s face.” – Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers acknowledged the right of players to celebrate victories, but emphasized that such actions should not involve disrespect towards opposition supporters.
Looking Ahead: Celtic’s Game Plan
Schmeichel is sidelined for an unknown amount of time. Celtic will need to do a rapid reappraisal of their game plan before they go to Kilmarnock for their next game. The team will need to look to their reserve goalkeepers to cover for Schmeichel’s absence.
“He’s obviously got some issues with his shoulder.” – Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers still speaks with Schmeichel, who lets his current predicament be known by staying spirited and asking management to perk him up. The manager seems to be assured that Schmeichel’s mental fortitude and footballing talent will ensure that we will see him back better than ever.
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