Craig Gordon: Celtic keeper 'would have loved to have played in League Cup final'

Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon admits he is disappointed not to be facing Aberdeen in Sunday's League Cup final.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has decided to stick with Scott Bain, who has played in the three previous rounds, rather than reinstate his first-choice keeper.

Gordon hoped Rodgers would change his policy but insists he will do what he can "behind the scenes" in Celtic's bid for a seventh straight domestic trophy.

"I would have loved to be out there but it's the manager's decision," he said.

"He has given Scott every other round and he has decided to stick by him for this one. That is the way it goes. Sometimes managers do change for the final, and sometimes they don't.

"Scott is a very good goalkeeper. It will be a new thing for him to go out and play in that game. But certainly from everything I have seen, he is very capable of handling that and performing well."

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Gordon is grateful Rodgers made his decision before Thursday's Europa League game at Rosenborg.

The Scotland international kept a fourth clean sheet in five matches as Celtic moved to within a point of the knockout stages with a 1-0 win in Norway.

"The manager has made the decision early enough for me to know that, no matter what happened tonight, that was going to be the case," said the 35-year-old.

"It wasn't a performance-based decision. It was something that was going to happen regardless, and he has come out and made that call."

Gordon admits he "doesn't know" if Rodgers will adopt a similar policy for the Scottish Cup, with Celtic beginning their campaign in the fourth round at home to Airdrieonians on the weekend of 19 January.