Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, is confident that his side will go to Norway this week with goals in them after watching a dismantling of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light yesterday afternoon.
Callum McGregor netted a hat-trick while Jonny Hayes and Stuart Armstrong also found the net, easing Rodgers striking headaches.
Leigh Griffiths has been in the spotlight this week as he races for fitness ahead of Celtic’s crucial UEFA Champions League third round, second leg qualifier against Rosenborg. The game is in the balance after a 0-0 draw this week and with Moussa Dembele out and Griffiths nursing a calf strain, there has been a focus on the potential lack of available forwards for the game.
The anticipation is that Griffiths will make it, but Rodgers believes that the performance of James Forrest was pivotal in the goals that Celtic netted against Sunderland.
“James was outstanding,” he said. “He has played there as a young player and he gave the team great fluency.
“You are always having to try things.
“If you don’t have someone obvious who can go and play. During the week we played Tom there and it wasn’t quite as fluent.
“For James it was a lot more natural, for him to spin in behind and come underneath. He was very good at turning in tight spaces and he can do that naturally as he has played there as a youngster and even occasionally in the first team for Celtic.”
And McGregor will have done his chances of making the starting XI in Trondheim no harm.
“Callum is always in my thinking,” said Rodgers. “We look at the team for every game. He was outstanding today. His touches, his quality and his finishing. He has really grown within this squad, particularly in the last seven months. You see his performance today with the ball, his technical excellence. He understands the game and he has a goal in him.”
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