Celtic’s Alexandro Bernabei will have received a “wake-up call” having been dropped from the Parkhead outfit’s 4-2 Premiership victory over Ross County earlier this month, as journalist Dean Jones outlines to GIVEMESPORT how the left-back could respond to the issue.
Brendan Rodgers hopes to build on the Hoops’ Premiership triumph last season by winning a third consecutive title.
Celtic team news – Alexandro Bernabei
Following Celtic’s opening day victory, Rodgers revealed that Bernabei had received his punishment, having been dropped from the squad after missing his alarm and the team meeting before the match.
The £3.75m signing has since returned to the squad for clashes against Aberdeen and last weekend’s Viaplay Cup defeat at Kilmarnock.
Having put the incident behind them, Rodgers told reporters (via The Scottish Sun): “He has been brilliant in pre-season in terms of mentality and attitude and I felt for him.
“The very morning of the first game of the season, whatever happened, the alarm did not go off. I don't have time to wait.
“If you start late in the game, and you are not quite ready, then the game could be dead. It's gone.
“We draw a line under it. He's a good guy. You’ve got to learn, and you've got to be ready.
“His professionalism is fantastic, and there is no worry.
“When you come into a club, the standard of your performance on and off the pitch is vital.
“We all make mistakes, but you learn from them, and you'll be better for it.”
And Jones believes that Rodgers will be “satisfied” that the punishment was sufficient and will move on from the incident.
Alexandro Bernabei - Celtic | Stats |
|---|---|
Appearances | 19 |
Goals | 1 |
Assists | 3 |
Yellow Cards | 2 |
What has Jones said about Celtic and Bernabei?
When asked if Bernabei can respond to the setback, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Yeah, it’s something he can recover from. Ironically, it'll probably end up being a bit of a wake-up call for him in terms of the standards set at Celtic. And it shows that Rodgers will wait for no one.
“It's an important thing to learn and move on from there. Everyone's open to human error at some stage. Waking up late to an alarm is one of those things that has caught people out in the past and will catch people out in the future, and he’s been caught out in an embarrassing high-profile moment.
“I think Rodgers seems satisfied that the punishment is sufficient to this point. It would be silly to dwell on it much further than that.”
What next for Celtic?
Rodgers must ensure Celtic respond to last weekend’s disappointing 1-0 Viaplay Cup defeat at Kilmarnock with a victory on Saturday.
St. Johnstone are the visitors to Parkhead as the Hoops aim to make it three wins out of three at the beginning of the Premiership campaign.
Rodgers then faces his first Glasgow derby since his return to Celtic Park when he leads his side to Ibrox to take on Rangers, in a game which could already have massive significance on the destination of the Premiership title.
Therefore, Rodgers cannot afford to dwell on the disappointment of last weekend if he wants to see a response from his side.