BRENDAN Rodgers today predicted Celtic’s glamour friendly with Catalan superstars Barcelona will be the perfect preparation for their Champions League rematch with Astana.

Rodgers’s side secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the third qualifying round in Kazakhstan on Wednesday evening thanks to a late Leigh Griffiths strike.

The away goal they netted in the Astana Arena gives the Glasgow club an excellent chance of progressing – they need to draw or win the second leg at Parkhead next week to go through.

READ MORE: Celtic kid O'Connell determined to feature in Parkhead first team despite Toure arrivalGlasgow Times: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was encouraged by his side's performance

However, Rodgers still has a selection headache ahead of the game against Stanimir Stoilov’s men with Erik Sviatchenko, his first choice centre back, out injured for three weeks with a groin strain.

The Irishman fielded Efe Ambrose and Eoghan O’Connell in the heart of his four man backline – but his side rode its luck at times and were fortunate not to suffer a defeat.

READ MORE: Celtic kid O'Connell determined to feature in Parkhead first team despite Toure arrival

Kolo Toure, the former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender, was left behind in Scotland due to his lack of fitness, but Rodgers is keen to give him a run-out against Barca.

If the Ivory Coast internationalist comes through the meeting with the Nou Camp giants in the International Champions Cup game in Dublin he will come into contention for the next Astana game.

Rodgers is set to rest several players at the Aviva Stadium after the gruelling journey to Central Asia, but feels the exercise will be hugely worthwhile ahead of a such a massive European fixture.

He said: “I didn’t think it was fair to ask Kolo to come straight out to Kazakhstan the day after signing. He is a very fit individual, but he needed to do some work with the team.

“But he has had a good week’s training this week. We will see what he is like for the weekend. I think there’s a good chance that he can be involved in the Barcelona game and the Astana game next week because of the injury situation.”

Rodgers was pleased with how O’Connell, the 20-year-old Irishman, performed on his European debut against Astana and may give him more game time in a game which Lionel Messi is set to feature up front for Barcelona in.

He said: “Young Eoghan has done fantastically well since he has come in to the first team. He reads the game very well and has a very cool head for such a young player. He has been given an opportunity and he has taken it.

“He played very well in difficult circumstances on his European debut the other night and will benefit from playing games like this against top class European opposition. He has done fantastically well and has a bright future ahead of him.”