BRENDAN RODGERS is ignoring two glamour games for Celtic next week to focus on Motherwell on Saturday.
The Ladbrokes Premiership leaders resume their Champions League campaign with the visit of German side Borussia Monchengladbach next Wednesday at Parkhead, where the Hoops fans thrilled to an exciting 3-3 draw with Manchester City in their last group game.
The following Sunday sees a meeting with Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, a match which gives Rodgers the chance to take the next step towards winning his first trophy as Celtic manager following his arrival in the summer.
The Hoops hammered Mark McGhee’s side 5-0 at home in the Betfred Cup in August but Rodgers expects an improvement from the Steelmen and will give them his full attention.
“I am only worried about the next game,” said the Northern Irishman, who will assess defender Mikael Lustig and midfielder Nir Bitton who both returned from international duty carrying knocks.
“I am only worried about Motherwell. We will focus on that and get ready for that, it will be a tough game for us, I’m sure.
“We played them in the cup earlier in the season and we played very, very well in the game.
“But I am sure Mark will have looked at that game and looked at his team having improved maybe from that and I am sure they will make it very difficult for us again.”
Celtic face a hectic fixture list in the run up to Christmas as they battle on three fronts with nine games scheduled in December.
However, the former Liverpool and Swansea City manager insists that is simply the price of success.
He said: “We now go into our next block of seven games before the next international break and through November to December we are nearly playing every other day.
“But that obviously comes from success as well so we can’t complain.
“The players work very hard here. I have a really good squad of players, all of them will be ready for whatever games they are needed to play in.
“So if you are having so many games it is hopefully because you are successful.”
Motherwell will have to beware of Moussa Dembele who won the Ladbrokes Premiership player of the month award for September.
The 20-year-old striker has scored 12 times since signing from Fulham in the summer including a hat-trick against Rangers and a double against Manchester City.
He also notched in each of France Under-21s’ two games during the international break.
“I have settled quick and I have scored a lot of goals for the club so far and hopefully there is more to come,” said Dembele.
“This was the next level after Fulham. I had to come to a massive club and show that I can do it at a high level and that’s what I have done.
“I am still young, I am still learning the game so hopefully there is more to come.”
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