Lennon plans to fine Rogne

Lennon plans to fine Rogne

Published Sep. 14, 2012 3:15 p.m. ET

Celtic boss Neil Lennon is set to fine Thomas Rogne after the defender was quoted complaining about new contract talks with the Parkhead club.

Rogne's current deal expires at the end of the season, and although he is free to talk to interested clubs in January, he was reported as saying he is loving life at the Parkhead club while on international duty with Norway Under-21s.

However, the 22-year-old, signed by Tony Mowbray in January, 2010 from Stabaek, also reportedly moaned about being undervalued.

"I have played when I have been healthy and feel I should be paid like the other players in that category but the deal has been much worse," he was quoted as saying.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The salary must reflect my value."

The Celtic boss, speaking at the club's Lennoxtown training centre as he looked ahead to Saturday's SPL clash with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, was asked if he had had a word with Rogne and replied: "I have yes. He feels he was misquoted and he didn't know what all the fuss was about.

"He and his advisors are in negotiations at the minute and he wants to stay, but he is going to face a club fine because we don't want the players talking club business when they are away on international duty.

"Maybe he wasn't aware of that but he is now.

"I want him here, absolutely. And, as I say, talks are on-going at the moment."

Lennon will have Scott Brown back in the Celtic midfield in Perth after the Hoops skipper missed Scotland's double-header against Serbia and Macedonia with an on-going hip problem.

While Brown returns for his first SPL start of the season, along with Charlie Mulgrew who has recovered from an Achilles injury, the champions will be without Georgios Samaras who is out with an elbow injury picked up on international duty with Greece.

Lennon's new signings, strikers Lassad Nouioui and Miku and goalkeeper Lubos Kamenar, are in contention but defender Efe Ambrose has yet to return from international duty with Nigeria.

With an eye towards next Wednesday night's Champions League group stage opener against Benfica at Parkhead, the Northern Irishman said: "I am hoping Scott will be fit for both games.

"We have tempered his training, he didn't train yesterday but came through a light session today so he will definitely start tomorrow and will be in mind for Wednesday.

"We have to be gauged by Scott and how he is feeling on a day-to-day basis.

"Samaras is not as bad as we first feared, basically it is ligament damage and hopefully he will be fit for the Spartak Moscow game (on October 2).

"It's a bitter blow to lose him but it is a huge relief (that it wasn't for longer) and Charlie is good, he is back.

"It (campaign) has been a bit disjointed with all the travelling we have had to do, and in between we had a game in Philadelphia, so it feels as if it is really starting now.

"We have tip-toed through the first four SPL games and now we can set fire to the season now."

Defender Mikael Lustig is trying not to look past St Johnstone to their match against Benfica.

He said: "Our focus is to do well at St Johnstone.

"If we get three points we will be happier going into the Benfica game.

"But we have to do it domestically first, if we want to play in the Champions League we have to win domestic games so it is a really important game for us."

share