Rodgers Dashes Celtic’s Hopes Of Keeping Loanee Beyond The Summer

Celtic defender Filip Benkovic won’t be returning to the Hoops after his loan spell ends at the Scottish club, according to Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers signed the Croatian international from the Foxes at the start of the campaign, but after moving to the King Power, the Northern Irishman wants the centre-back to return and be part of his first team at the English Premier League side:

“The whole plan for him was to get him game time. We took him up to Celtic which was a huge club with big pressures to play. He has done very well.

“All the loan players will look to come back and then we will decide where we will go from there.”

Benkovic joined Leicester from Dinamo Zagreb for £13m in the summer but was immediately sent out on loan to the Scottish champions.

The centre-half has made 24 appearances in all competitions for Celtic this season. He has been sidelined with an ankle problem recently but returned as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Dundee last weekend.

Benkovic has struck up a good partnership with Dedryck Boyata this campaign, but with the Belgian international out of contract at the end of the season, the Hoops will almost certainly be looking to strengthen in the middle of defence this summer.