BRENDAN Rodgers has dismissed an Israeli report that claimed Liel Abada had been subjected to abuse in the street in Glasgow and provided an update on the Celtic winger.
Abada is not playing for the Parkhead club at the moment due to his fragile mental state amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Israeli outlet Sport 5 alleged the former PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year had been verbally attacked in Scotland in a story linking him with moves to MLS franchises Atlanta United and Austin United.
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But Rodgers said: “I’m not aware of that. I speak regularly with Liel. It’s sadly a situation which doesn’t put him in the right frame of mind to play.
“But that’s a day by day thing. He’s still training with the group, sadly not available for the games. We’ll treat him well and look after him well whilst he’s here.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers has admitted he was perplexed at Celtic fans’ reaction to his decision to replace Tomoki Iwata with Paulo Bernardo during the Motherwell match at Fir Park on Sunday.
"It doesn't really matter to me. It's more for the player coming on and for the team. I think it's a negative reaction which I don't quite understand.
“You are 1-1 in the game, you take off a defensive midfielder and put on an attacking player who has scored goals this season and you get booed. It just seems a little strange. Thankfully the players' mentality on the pitch was superb.”
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Elsewhere, Rodgers has hit out at the reaction to his interview with BBC Scotland reporter Jane Lewis on Sunday and stated he was “saddened for society” that “people are trying to find ways to bring you down”.
The Northern Irishman revealed he had called Lewis - who issued a statement yesterday stressing that she had not been offended by the Celtic manager calling her a “good girl” – as a result of the outcry.
"Sadly for me, in society now, we are either looking to offend or find something that is offensive to try and pin on to people,” he said.
"I have always based my life on relationships. I have always offered a warmth, being respectful or courteous, and that will never change.
"I have spoken to Jane. She wasn't offended. We had a laugh about it. She will continue to ask me awkward questions, I'm sure. But I see her every week and we have good relations, like I have with most people in my life, whether that's professional or social.
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“The documentary I watched was really inspiring, True Spirit it was called. I actually shared that with the players in terms of the inspiration they could take from a young woman like that, what she had been through and everything else.
"So I find it saddening as much as anything because one, I am not that type of person, I can never be that, it's not how I'm built. But also it saddened me for the society now because people are just looking and trying to find ways to somehow bring you down if they can. It’s not nice."
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