Brendan Rodgers claimed his central defender Dedryck Boyata had been fit to play despite missing Celtic’s defeat here in Athens that put them out of the Champions League.

The Belgian international, subject of a failed £9m bid by Fulham before the English transfer window closed, had posted a video of him receiving treatment before the game. His agent, Jacques Lichtenstein, was quoted this week saying that as his client is in the final year of his contract, he could not risk playing when not 100%.

After the narrow defeat in the third qualifier, where a late Scott Sinclair goal reduced the deficit after goals from Rodrigo Galo and Marko Livaja had put the home side 2-0 up, Rodgers, who was also without the suspended defender Kristoffer Ajer, said: “My concentration until I get back is only with the players that are here. But yes, Dedryck would have been fit to play.

AEK Athens knock Celtic out of Champions League plus Carabao Cup clockwatch – live! Read more

“He has been with us on the journey now for a couple of years and helped us get to this position and someone of his quality, a World Cup semi-finalist in our team, certainly would have helped.”

Celtic now face a Europa League play-off when they will play the Latvian side Spartaks Jurmala or Suduva from Lithuania, a huge blow for the club who will miss out on the prestige – not to mention the vast sums of money – to be earned in the Champions League.

Within six minutes Celtic were trailing to a Galo strike and it looked a forlorn task for the visitors when the Croatian striker Livaja headed in a second five minutes after the break.

Rodgers was critical of his side’s defending. “We conceded a soft goal against Livingston and Alashkert and against Hearts we gave away a goal,” he said. “We are not getting opened up and fantastic goals scored against us, it is concentration and basic defending. But we will go away and work with the players we have, try to improve and make them better.

Sinclair, on as a substitute, pulled a goal back in the 78th minute but despite a grand finale the Scottish champions could not fashion a second that would have put them through on away goals.

The 70,000-capacity stadium was around half-full but the home fans roared when Niklas Hult, at the second attempt, got his cross past Mikael Lustig to the midfielder Galo, who swept it past Craig Gordon from 12 yards.

Celtic almost conceded a second soon after when Viktor Klonaridis, who scored in the first leg last week, burst into the box but toe-poked a shot wide.

Having taken the lead, however, AEK Athens sat back and Celtic took control with Tom Rogic and Leigh Griffiths having efforts on goal before the latter sent a fine Callum McGregor cross inches past the post from eight yards out.

Jack Hendry headed a Griffiths corner over the bar just before the interval but any positivity Celtic’s response elicited evaporated early in the second half when Galo’s free-kick to the back post was headed back across goal by Vassilis Lampropoulos for Livaja to head past Gordon.

Celtic responded positively again and only a brilliant save by Vassilis Barkas prevented Simunovic’s header from a Kieran Tierney cross speeding in at the near post.

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

Rodgers brought on Moussa Dembélé for Lustig in the 59th minute but Klonaridis missed a great chance to make it 3-0.

Celtic kept piling forward and minutes after Sinclair came on for Rogic he gave them hope when he headed in a Tierney cross.

But the home side held out in the nervy final minutes, despite Simunovic coming close with a flick in the last of five added minutes.

Tougher draw in line for Liverpool



Benfica’s 2-1 aggregate win over Fenerbahce means Liverpool still face the prospect of a tough draw. Benfica take on the Greek side PAOK Salonika, who have already knocked out FC Basel and Spartak Moscow to progress to the play-off round, for a place in the competition proper.

The result means Liverpool, the highest-ranked third seeds, could find themselves in Pot 3, rather than the more favourable Pot 2, for the group stage draw that takes place on 30 August.