Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that his side missed the presence of a recognised centre-forward during the first leg of their Champions League qualifier with Rosenborg this evening.
Leigh Griffiths was absent through suspension and is also struggling with a calf strain, while Moussa Dembele could be sidelined until September with a hamstring injury.
With Tom Rogic the furthest forward, the Bhoys subsequently drew a blank in a goalless home draw against the Norwegians, leaving them needing a win in the away leg to progress into the playoffs.
Asked about Griffiths's chances of returning in time for the second leg, Rodgers told reporters: "Hopeful. We will see where he is at the weekend. Even if he was available for this game he couldn't have played, with a calf strain. We we will see how he is over the next few days leading into next week. Of course it is [a concern] if you haven't got strikers. But I can't worry about it so much. I want to focus on finding a way to get a result so I will look at it going forward.
"I thought Tom did very well. Of course he wasn't quite playing as a striker, we played him just off in a withdrawn role. I thought at times our general play was very good, it was just that bit round the edge of the box where, when you have natural strikers, they manipulate the ball to get a shot in and they are a reference to the team to bounce the ball off. So maybe we missed that link in the final sector.
"Nil-nil is never a bad result in Europe. If you can't score it is important we don't concede. I was pleased with the players. We were up against it a wee bit without strikers. [Rosenborg] will want to come out a little bit more than they did, they will need to take the initiative. It is still evenly-balanced. If we go and play like we did at Monchengladbach and Manchester City last season then we are through. We will go there confident."
The return leg will take place next Wednesday at the Lerkendal Stadium in Trondheim.
Barney Corkhill
