Tonight Celtic goes into battle understrength. For Rodgers and others what a chance it presents.

This might not be the biggest test Brendan Rodgers will ever face in his career, but make no mistake—this game is massive. It might not rank as the most important game of his managerial journey, but he won’t dismiss it as meaningless.

Nor is it the most critical game we’ve had this season; that honour almost certainly belongs to the Young Boys match, which we had to win to make this one easier on ourselves. Still, that doesn’t mean this game lost all significance the moment the final whistle blew in that one, even if the club’s conduct since then might give you a different impression.

For the club, this game is massive. For the fans, it’s massive. For the manager, it’s even deeper and more significant. I cannot believe he has allowed himself to be so hamstrung going into it. Losing two key players was bad enough, but to then lose Carter-Vickers and Valle on top of that is dreadful for him.

So, how might we line up? No Kyogo, no Maeda, no Carter-Vickers, no Valle. We’re probably looking at Greg Taylor and Liam Scales at the back. Although it’s not a complete disaster, it’s far from ideal.

This game now becomes a test of the manager’s mettle—a chance for Rodgers to show all of Europe, but particularly England (and we know that means a lot to him), that he remains a formidable managerial talent.

If we go into this game tonight and get a result, it’s major.

By tomorrow morning, Rodgers would be the most talked-about boss on this island. All those in England who have written him off would have his name on their lips once again. To do it with a full-strength Celtic team, including Carter Vickers, Kyogo and Maeda, would have been a statement. To do it with so many of our mainstays missing feels like mission impossible. That it isn’t, is down to the faith we have in him.

If he can reward that faith and pull a rabbit out of the hat here, it will be extraordinary. The odds are stacked against us, compounded by two self-inflicted wounds—the first delivered by Maeda, the second by Kyogo. The defensive problems only amplify the sense that we were fortunate to get the result at Celtic Park which put us in a position where we don’t need a win to go through.

And yet, I look at the pool of players Rodgers has at his disposal and I still think he can get something here. If he springs a tactical surprise on the opposition, we may yet get a result. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility; it’s not outside our skillset. This team still has quality. But for that to matter, every player has to perform to their best, every player has to stay disciplined, and the team as a whole has to avoid silly mistakes. This is difficult, but it’s not impossible.

I believe Rodgers remains an elite manager.

For all his critics, for all those who say he’s an example of style over substance, I think that’s nonsense. He is a manager of genuine substance and quality. I believe he can put out a team tonight with a system capable of getting a result.

The question is whether he can rise to the occasion. If he doesn’t, I won’t crucify him for it—he’s been dealt a dreadful hand—but tonight we’ll learn a lot about him. We’ll also learn a lot about some of the players.

Taylor, who believes he’s worth a mega contract, needs to play like someone who deserves it. Yang, who’s likely to feature unless Rodgers pulls off a tactical masterstroke, has the chance to show he’s worth keeping around. If he has anything to prove, tonight is the night.

And then there’s Adam Idah. This is an enormous night for him. He can silence the critics and end all the questions about his place in the team—or he can invite more. This is a defining moment for him, as he’s almost certain to start. If he delivers, those questions might never arise again.

This is a huge occasion, and I hope the fans who’ve travelled get the performance they deserve. I hope that by tomorrow, we’re all talking with pride about our team and our manager. Because this could be one of Rodgers’ finest hours in the dugout as Celtic boss. In a few hours, we’ll know.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

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