“I’ve got no problems playing Maik,” Brendan Rodgers on Nawrocki

The Celtic Star

·30 Maret 2025

“I’ve got no problems playing Maik,” Brendan Rodgers on Nawrocki

Brendan Rodgers explained the circumstances that allowed Maik Nawrocki to retain his place in the Celtic side on Saturday afternoon in the 3-0 victory over Hearts in the Scottish Premiership…

Celtic v Hearts, Scottish Premiership 29/03/2025. Maik Nawrocki of Celtic during the match at Celtic Park, on 29 March 2025. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie PSI

Maik Nawrocki came in from the cold in the Glasgow Derby defeat the previous weekend and the Polish defender was one of the few bright-spots for Celtic in what was otherwise an afternoon to forget.

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With Auston Trust sidelined with a calf-strain and Liam Scales having to have surgery after suffering a head-knock which will keep him out until the Kilmarnock game at Celtic Park at the earliest, the Celtic manager had to to draft right footed Nawrocki into the team playing at the left hand side of Celtic’s central defence.

Trusty still not ready to play

And with Trusty still not ready to play, Nawrocki was given a second consecutive start against Hearts whee he once again put in an impressive performance.

“I do always prefer where I can a left-footed centre-half on that side, in all honesty because that allows you to get through the pitch quicker and have more speed playing forward,” the Celtic manager told BBC Scotland’s Sportsound programme.

‘I’ve got no problems playing Maik’

“But Scalesy can’t play, and Auston isn’t quite ready yet. I’ve got no problems playing Maik. I think people forget that you can only play 11 players.

Celtic v Hearts, Scottish Premiership 29/03/2025. Maik Nawrocki of Celtic during the match at Celtic Park, on 29 March 2025. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie PSI

“For a lot of our season, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Liam Scales have been outstanding. So, it’s been very, very hard for Maik.

‘You’ve got to give him huge credit’

“What you’ve got to give him huge credit for is every single day in training his mentality to work, his endeavour, the responsibility he’s taken to work and be the best he can be.

“So, if the opportunity comes and he has to come into a game like theRangers game and perform like he did, that’s a real testament to his professionalism and his mentality. He’s done really well, he’s had a couple of weeks, and then we will see.”

Celtic v Hearts, Scottish Premiership 29/03/2025. Maik Nawrocki of Celtic during the match at Celtic Park, on 29 March 2025. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie PSI

Celtic’s 3-0 win stretched the goal difference advantage on theRangers who won by the odd goal in seven at Dens Park on Saturday in the late afternoon kick-off. Celtic are at St Johnstone on Sunday morning looking to take another giant step towards a fourth consecutive title and a 13th in 14 seasons.

Whether Brendan Rodgers opts to start Nawrocki for a third game in a row or restore Austin Trusty to the left hand side of the Celtic defence will be a topic of conversation by the large Celtic support heading to McDiarmid Park, where the Perth club had released three stands for the away support.

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