Tuesday 17 October 2017 22:46, UK
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is confident they will cope without key defender Jozo Simunovic for their Champions League Group B game with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina centre-back tore his hamstring in September and although he has returned to training, a reaction to the injury means he will miss the match at the Allianz Arena.
"He's come back into the team having been injured, you always want your top players fit, but he has had a reaction to the injury, so it's disappointing," said Rodgers.
"We've had to get used to injuries, especially across our back line. Ideally, you want to have a set pair at the back, but we've had to constantly rejig the team.
"But whoever I put in there always does a great job."
With Simunovic out, Nir Bitton, Kristoffer Ajer or Erik Sviatchenko could be slotted into the Hoops defence, as Celtic look to build on their 3-0 away win at Anderlecht on September 27.
Both teams have three points from their opening two rounds of Champions League games heading into their two head-to-head clashes.
While Celtic were boosted by their win in Brussels last time out, Bayern are looking to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat at league leaders Paris Saint-Germain which cost Carlo Ancelotti his job.
"Bayern are one of the best teams in world football," added Rodgers.
"You only need to look at the team sheet and see the quality of players. They are one of the favourites and they are in their own back yard.
"They are level on points with us in the group and will want to put themselves ahead of us."
Celtic should welcome back captain Scott Brown and midfielder Stuart Armstrong against Bayern, something Rodgers admits will
"It's a huge boost for us, both players have different qualities," he said.
"Broony [Brown] has those real leadership qualities. In my time here, in the big games, he has performed.
"He is a big game player and he will impose his way of playing and working and that is always a big inspiration for the team.
"Stuart is a player who has grown at this level and he has real good mobility and a threat to score goals."
