Brendan Rodgers laying plans ahead of Champions League test

Brendan Rodgers has signalled he will make gradual personnel and tactical changes to his Celtic squad as he looks to meet the major challenge of peaking early in the Champions League qualifiers.

Rodgers has yet to make his first Celtic signing and is prioritising getting to know his players and improving their fitness ahead of their opening qualifier on July 12-13, against either Estonian champions Flora Tallinn or Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps.

The former Liverpool boss admits he is looking for quality over quantity after inheriting a squad with 14 first-team midfielders.

Rodgers said: "Of course there is a lot of work needing to go on within the squad but at this moment the players that are back in are working on their football fitness.

"That's key at this period of the season. And over the course of the next few weeks we will evaluate it that bit more and look to impose our ideas more into the group.

"We are working on trying to maybe bring one or two in. The idea we want is quality, that's what we are looking for.

"You have to respect the current players are the Scottish Premiership champions. And if we can add to that and help them with one or two players, then that would bode really well for us."

After releasing Colin Kazim-Richards, Anthony Stokes and Carlton Cole, Rodgers confirmed he was looking to provide help for striker Leigh Griffiths, but he will take his time in getting to know the rest of his quad.

Speaking at an event to promote the new Ladbrokes SPFL season at the Kelpies sculptures in Falkirk, Rodgers said: "You have to assess. You are relying on games and reports before you come in, but I'm always one to assess it for myself.

"You get reports on players and their strengths and weaknesses but sometimes players can react differently to different types of management and coaching.

"At this moment it's just about assessing the squad and seeing where we are at. We want to help the squad by adding to it.

"When you are the champions, you have to be allergic to that complacency. I always say success is a target that keeps moving and you have to move with that."

Rodgers will need to asses quickly though as Celtic bid to traverse the six games needed to qualify for the Champions League.

"It's a big challenge," he said. "They are very dangerous games, just purely because of the timing really.

"When you are three or four months into the season, it's totally different: the players are fully up to speed physically and have a much better understanding tactically of what you want.

"Some of the teams are halfway through their season so are already at that level.

"But they are games we have to navigate our way through. It's 12 weeks until the opening games of the Champions League group stage and that's where we want to get to.

"For that we will maybe have to suffer a bit and take on these challenges earlier than we would want, but they are challenges we are relishing and that's our focus over the coming weeks.

"Little changes can hopefully change a lot for you, and that's something we will look to do.

"To give the players a totally different outlook on the game at this stage is obviously going to be difficult with so many important games.

"Normally pre-season is about building your fitness and getting ready for the first game of the season, but of course it's different. We will meet that challenge and I'm sure the players will be ready for it."