UEFA has confirmed the dates for Celtic’s Champions League play-off round, with Brendan Rodgers’ men to face either Slovan Bratislava or Kairat Almaty.
This timing gives Celtic a small boost, with one extra day to recover before their big Premiership match against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday 31 August.
But the team they end up facing will have a big say in how smooth preparations are for that derby.
If Slovan Bratislava make it through their qualifier, Celtic will travel to Slovakia for the second leg. That trip is not without its challenges, but it would be far easier to manage in terms of travel and recovery time.
Things would get much tougher if Kairat Almaty progress. An away tie in Kazakhstan is one of the longest trips in European football.
The journey is nearly 4,700 miles, involves crossing several time zones, and would take up valuable days needed for recovery and planning ahead of the derby.
Rodgers will want a strong performance in the home leg to ease the pressure before the away match. With a Champions League group stage place and the big prize money at stake, he must balance his selection carefully to handle both European and domestic demands.
The Glasgow Derby on 31 August will already be a massive early test in the league season. Arriving back from Kazakhstan only days before kick-off would push the squad’s stamina and focus to the limit.
Celtic will officially find out their play-off opponent next week.
Until then, Rodgers and his coaches must prepare for two very different situations, either a reasonable trip to Slovakia or a punishing long-haul journey to central Asia during one of the most important weeks of the campaign.
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