
Europa League: Celtic v Braga
Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow Date: Thursday, 2 October Time: 17:45 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, live text coverage on the BBC Sport website & app
Manager Brendan Rodgers is urging the Celtic hierarchy and supporters' groups to sort out their differences for the "longer term" benefit of the club.
Thursday's first home Europa League match of the season against Braga will feature the latest in a series of protests from fans and Rodgers says that until peace breaks out he will simply have to "maximise" what he can get from his squad.
Having lost out to Kairat Almaty in Champions League qualifying, Celtic opened Uefa's second tier tournament with a 1-1 draw away to Red Star Belgrade.
Another draw followed at the weekend, with Hibernian holding the Premiership champions to a goalless stalemate in Glasgow.
"I suppose my message is probably for the longer term," said Rodgers of the current unrest. "Hopefully both parties can sit down and respect the differences and find a solution so that we can all pull together again.
"That's what's always key for Celtic. Until that happens I need to manage the team to maximise what we can get out of the players .The team will be very focused on getting the results that the club want."
With the 'ultras' section of Celtic Park planning a 29-minute silence, Rodgers says his focus is on the "performance on the pitch as that's the only thing we can control".
And despite some supporters planning to boycott European games altogether, Rodgers hopes many can be persuaded to change their minds.
"I really hope the stadium is full as this is an incredible club with a history based around the supporters," he added.
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel agreed, making the plea "we need you" to the Celtic fanbase.
"We have the most incredible fans and whether it's the Champions League, the Scottish league or the Europa League, when we line up I always look at the opposition bench to see their reaction and that always tells me that this place is special," said the experienced Denmark international.
"I've played in a lot of places, a lot of stadiums, and there's nothing quite like this.
"So for us as players, it's something we definitely don't take for granted. For me personally, the career I've had, there is nothing more motivating than coming out onto this pitch here, with a full stadium with that noise.
"I completely understand the fans' frustration, I completely understand them wanting to voice their opinions, but we also need you. That would be my message."
Team news
Celtic remain without injured right-back Alistair Johnston and long-term absentee Jota, but Reo Hatate and Auston Trusty have returned to training.
Central-half Jonatas Noro and Ivory Coast midfielder Mario Dorgeles are missing for Braga.
Who are Sporting Braga?
Celtic have faced the Portuguese side once before, with Braga winning their 2010 Champions League qualifier 4-2 on aggregate.
More recently, Braga have lost out twice to Rangers in the Europa League.
They beat Feyenoord 1-0 in their Europa League opener, but, with two wins from seven games, they sit seventh in the Liga Portugal and new head coach Carlos Vicens has been attracting flak from fans.
Beaten by domestic rivals Porto in the 2011 Europa League final, Braga finished 25th in last season's extended table, missing out on the play-off round on goal difference.
They reached the Champions League for the second time in 2023-24, finishing third in their group behind Real Madrid and Napoli.
At 39, former Porto, Monaco and Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho, who amassed 146 caps for Portugal, is still going strong and captain Ricardo Horta is a dangerous winger with international experience.
Swedish centre-half Gustaf Lagerbielke made the switch from Celtic to Braga this summer following a season on loan at Dutch side Twente.
Match stats
Braga have played Scottish opposition four times previously in the Europa League, losing three times to and beating Rangers once between 2020 and 2022.
Celtic have lost just one of their past eight home games in all European competition (W4 D3).
Braga have failed to win any of their past four away Europa League games (D1 L3), conceding nine goals.
After his goal against Red Star Belgrade, Kelechi Iheanacho could become the seventh player to score in both of his first two European appearances for Celtic, and first since both Andreas Thom and Simon Donnelly did so in September 1995.