Carl Starfelt was handed what Celtic supervisor Brendan Rodgers feels shall be a farewell appearance in a 4-2 cinch Premiership opening win over Ross County.
Starfelt began on the bench with Maik Nawrocki making his debut in central defence earlier than the Swede got here on for the ultimate quarter.
The centre-half’s accomplice, Jacynta Galabadaarachchi, left Celtic for Sporting Lisbon this summer season and Starfelt seems to be set to comply with her out of Glasgow after two years on the membership.
A successful begin for the Hoops on Flag Day!#CELROS | #cinchPrem | #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/JhEJOCIJL5
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 5, 2023
Rodgers stated: “I needed to place Carl Starfelt on as a result of it could be his final sport right here. He has been an incredible servant to the membership. There is curiosity in him and he want to take up that chance. We will resolve that as fast as we will.
“The golf equipment are in communication so I’m certain that can undergo in some unspecified time in the future early subsequent week, if not earlier than.
“He in all probability felt it was the time to maneuver on. There are sure situations there that has made him suppose he shall be going to one of many high leagues, and economically it’s onerous for us to compete on that facet, and clearly his accomplice is now not right here and has moved on.
“But I’ve to say, complete skilled, first-class and if it didn’t undergo, I do know I can depend on him, however I feel it in all probability will.
“We would need to get another centre-half. My idea is to get four centre-halves who are competitive.”
David Turnbull netted twice in the season opener after being handed his first Premiership begin in 9 months. The midfielder opened the scoring from the spot and netted from Matt O’Riley’s cross after Kyogo Furuhashi had notched his first aim of the season.
Rodgers stated of the previous Motherwell participant: “He’s a expertise. I bear in mind seeing him after I was first up right here and I favored his sport and he perhaps simply hasn’t fairly hit the heights of what his expertise is.
“I spoke to him in pre-season and instructed him it could be a disgrace in case you don’t obtain what you are able to do at a membership like this, as a result of you have got the expertise, however it’s important to be a working expertise, and you’ve got to have the ability to run and be aggressive in your sport. If you are able to do that, then your qualities will come by means of.
“He’s a player I really like. I love his care with the ball, his passing, and his efficiency. He gets in the box, he gets goals, and he maybe could have had a hat-trick.”
The 24-year-old has entered the ultimate season of his contract after a £3.25million transfer from Fir Park in 2020.
On the probabilities of a brand new deal, Rodgers stated: “It’s a door that’s open for him. he perhaps hasn’t performed as a lot as he would love, however that’s his accountability.
“I feel he want to be right here however it’s important to constantly show it.
“It was a clean slate over pre-season and he did very well with the ball and against the ball, which is important. You have to be able to play without the ball and he has demonstrated that.”
County supervisor Malky Mackay was pissed off his facet couldn’t make the most of some early possibilities, which principally fell for Simon Murray.
Mackay stated: “I assumed we began nicely and worldwide groups will rating targets towards Celtic. They simply have, Yokohama, Athletic (Bilbao). We get these possibilities in the primary quarter-hour and may have scored. If it’s a world crew, Celtic are 2-0 down.
“Our shape and system were good, our discipline were good, and we give away a stupid penalty. Then we don’t defend a cross in the last minute of the first half and next minute we are 3-0 down at half-time.”
County hit again by means of Jordan White earlier than James Brown scored in stoppage-time through Starfelt’s deflection after O’Riley had netted Celtic’s fourth.
Mackay stated: “I do know at 3-0 right here that may go on to turn into six or seven. My problem for them at half-time was to be courageous and go and rating a aim and press excessive.
“Sometimes we were able to do it and sometimes we didn’t because we have some new players who aren’t quite there with the explanations I give them but I was really happy with how brave they were in the second half.”
Discussion about this post