Cameron Carter-Vickers with manager Brendan Rodgers during Tuesday’s training sessionChampions League: Celtic v Lazio
Venue : Celtic Park, Glasgow Date: Wednesday, 4 October Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra/DAB/810MW, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app
Cameron Carter-Vickers could make a surprise return for Celtic at home to Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The USA centre-half has not played since suffering a hamstring injury against Aberdeen on 13 August.
The defender has had “a real good week of training”, explained Brendan Rodgers.
“Cam, we wouldn’t take a risk unless he was fit. He has come through really, really well,” said the manager.
“He is further down the road than we thought.
“He has had a real good week of training and he’s been doing lots of other work out on the field before that.
“I said before that it [his return] might have been after the international break but he’s made great progress, so we will just assess that to see if he can be in the squad and if he is, then obviously it would be great news for us.”
- Lazio visit summons memories of Celtic double triumph
Meanwhile, Rodgers insists Celtic will “play with no fear” against the Serie A side, who have struggled for form this term.
Lazio have picked up just seven points from their opening seven league matches, while they opened their Group E campaign with a home draw against Atletico Madrid.
“We know at this level we have to be 100%,” said Rodgers. “If it’s 98% you will come unstuck.
“They still have players that can make a difference. There’s Ciro Immobile, you see his level over the years and how he leads the line. Luis Alberto I signed as a player when he was 20, so I know his technical qualities. Felipe Anderson, we saw at West Ham that he’s a talented player.
“We know they’re a good team so we have to play with an intensity, with a speed, with a quality.
“At home, we normally have to break down defences that are low. In these games, there’s more space and that should suit our game style.”
It has been almost 10 years since Celtic enjoyed a home win in the Champions League, a 2-1 success against Ajax on 22 October 2013.
“It’s getting that emotion from the support that rolls down from the stands on to the pitch and that’s what we have to use,” added Rodgers. “So for us, from the first whistle, we go straight to fifth gear, look to give everything.
“The game has changed financially in the last decade which makes it very hard for teams like ourselves but it doesn’t mean we go into these games with any fear. We’ll play with no fear and see where that bravery can take us.”
Team news
Gustav Lagerbielke and Odin Holm are suspended following red cards in Celtic’s opening loss away to Feyenoord.
If Carter-Vickers is not ready to start, Nat Phillips is the likely replacement for Lagerbielke, with Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki out injured, along with winger Liel Abada.
Lazio have a fully fit squad, with Ciro Immobile expected to return in attack after being a substitute in the weekend loss to AC Milan.
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What they said
Celtic captain Callum McGregor: “Hopefully, we can have a special night. We know we don’t have the resources of some of these big teams but I think when we get in there, if you have a competitive spirit and you have quality and you have the right idea, and keep building on that season on season, then you will bridge the gap eventually, so you have to push to do that.
“It’s the motivation for the guys here to try to do something on the European stage. It’s a brilliant test for a relatively young group.”
Match stats
- Celtic have won both of their previous meetings with Lazio, winning 2-1 both home and away in the 2019-20 Europa League group stages.
- Lazio are winless in their past 11 meetings with British sides in all competitions (D4 L7) since a 2-1 win at Chelsea in March 2000 in the Champions League.
- Celtic have won just one of their past 22 Champions League games (D5 L16), and are winless in 11 (D2 L9) since a 3-0 win at Anderlecht in September 2017.
- Celtic are winless in their past 10 Champions League home games (D2 L8), failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 15 at Celtic Park. Only four teams have had a longer run without a home win in the competition - FCSB (13, 1996-2013), Lille (13, 2006-2021), Club Brugge (12, 2016-2020) and Spartak Moscow (11, 2001-2006)
- Lazio are unbeaten in their past seven Champions League group stage games (W2 D5), only having a longer run in their first eight such games (including 2nd group stage) in the competition in 1999-00.
- Lazio have won just one of their past 16 Champions League away games (D5 L10), failing to win any of their last nine since a 2-0 win at Besiktas in September 2003.
- No side had fewer touches in the opposition box on MD1 of the Champions League this season than Celtic (8), amassing an xG of just 0.30, the third-lowest of any side ahead of only Union Berlin (0.24) and Newcastle (0.28).
- Lazio had 19 shots at goal in their 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on MD1, their most in a Champions League game on record (2003-04 onwards), with 11 different outfield players attempting a shot before goalkeeper Ivan Provedel scored in the 95th minute.
- Excluding shootouts, Celtic keeper Joe Hart has saved 50% of the penalties he’s faced in the Champions League (4/8), including one against Feyenoord on MD1. Since 2003-04, no keeper to face at least five spot kicks has a higher save rate than Hart.
- Brendan Rodgers has won just two of his 19 Champions League matches as manager across spells with Liverpool and Celtic (D5 L12). Among the 87 managers to have hit the 20-game mark already, none have had fewer than three wins in their opening 20 matches, with three the fewest at this stage (by Rudi Garcia and Viktor Goncharenko).
