KAIRAT AND STICK

BRENDAN RODGERS will refuse to accept any excuses from his Celtic squad in tonight's Champions League showdown in Almaty.

- MICHAEL GANNON

The Hoops' hopes have been left in the balance after last week's first-leg draw in Glasgow - and no Scottish side have ever won in Kazakhstan.

Rodgers' men made the 3500-mile trek on Sunday and will kick off in boiling conditions at altitude. But the manager insists he's not going to accept any bleating about the journey or the conditions and his players don't need any reminding of what is at stake.

Rodgers said: "No, I don't need to explain it.

"Every player, every coach, manager wants to look at the highest level of club football.

"For us, that is the Champions League. For me, it's more based around, don't worry about failing worry about performance.

"Because if you think so much of the consequences then it can paralyse you.

"That's not something we want to do. We have to play our game, play the football we played in a lot of the league games this year.

"If we can take that into the game, we've got a fantastic chance of qualification.

"There's no excuse for us.