Celtic

Craig Gordon: 'Celtic have no problems with Dedryck Boyata return'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 22 August 2018

Gordon: 'Celtic have no problems with Boyata'

Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon insists that the Hoops players have had no problems with Dedryck Boyata's return to first-team training.

Craig Gordon has stressed that Celtic have had no problems with Dedryck Boyata's return to first-team training.

The Belgium defender was missing as the Hoops were eliminated from the Champions League by AEK Athens last week.

Manager Brendan Rodgers criticised Boyata after the game in Greece, stating that the 27-year-old was fit to play despite having claimed that he was injured.

However, Boyata was back with the first team this week following a chat with Rodgers and skipper Scott Brown, although the Hoops boss insists that a medical issue will rule him out of the first leg of Celtic's Europa League playoff with Suduva on Thursday.

"He's been a really good player and a big part of what we've achieved over the last few seasons," Gordon told Sky Sports News. "He's come back and played quickly after injuries and done everything he could for the team and been a leader, especially among the French-speaking boys in the team.

"There's a lot of good things he's brought to the club so, from a players' point of view, there's no problem in him coming back to training. Dedryck has been well-liked in his entire time amongst the players so it was just a case of getting back to business and him coming back in and training the way he always has done."

Boyata, who has made 103 appearances for Celtic, is under contract at Parkhead until 2019.