A blockbuster curtain-raiser awaits against Napoli on Filbert Way this week as Leicester's reward for lifting the Emirates FA Cup and finishing fifth in the Premier League last term. Rodgers, though, wants to progress far on the European stage, despite the scale of the task on Thursday.
Luciano Spalletti's Gli Azzurri outfit head into the encounter holding a 100 per cent record so far in Serie A this term, including a 2-1 triumph over Italian powerhouses Juventus over the past weekend. It's an exciting opener for the Foxes and Rodgers is braced for the challenge which awaits them.
"I certainly believe they’re a Champions League club," the Northern Irishman said. "They’ve got great experience over recent years in every competition. They arrive in the Europa League probably as one of the favourites to do well in it. They’re a very good side with a lot of experience and quality.
"It’s such an exciting game for us to start the competition and we’re excited by it. In a lot of the games that we’ve watched, they’ve played 4-3-3, but we know they have that adaptability to play 4-2-3-1.
"They’ve got a fantastic and very experienced manager, so we have to prepare for both, but I feel he may play 4-3-3."
Rodgers' squad has been swelled by an influx of players with valuable European experience. Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumaré both starred on the continent last term, while Ryan Bertrand, Jannik Vestergaard and Ademola Lookman have graced that stage also.
That continental know-how, combined with more options across the squad, can equip the Foxes to compete on several fronts this term, Rodgers believes.
"That was our idea," the former Liverpool and Celtic manager explained. "We’ve been unfortunate, really, in the last couple of seasons. Hopefully, touch wood, we get the fitness and that little bit of luck that you need with injuries. It’s also more than that.
"When you have success and you win, you want to keep on winning, but that’s about talent, it’s about mentality, it’s about spirit and quality. For us, the last two seasons have been great, but it’s a new season. It’s a new mentality and a new hunger.
"This competition is very important for us. We’d like to go a long way in it and hopefully we can. I felt last season we had to prioritise a little bit when we had injuries. We suffered with that, especially in this competition, but it’s certainly a competition that we’d like to do really well in.
"There’s more experience now in the squad having been together in how we've worked over these last couple of years. There’s a freshness with players coming in and we’ve got that bit of depth which gives a different profile to the team. I’m looking forward to the game.
"It’s a fantastic game to start the competition. We’ve got the supporters in and it should be a great noise and we want to get off to a winning start if we can."
Rodgers is excited to see Daka represent Leicester over the coming months too. The Zambia striker joined from RB Salzburg in the summer after scoring 27 goals in 28 outings as they lifted the Austrian Bundesliga. His new manager has no doubts that the Blue Army will enjoy watching him perform.
"The quality of the teams, of course, are at a really high level," Rodgers continued. "Certainly, his experience and Bouba’s as well… they’ve played European games, so they understand the competition. They are players I absolutely feel can come in and play in this competition and in the Premier League.
"I just think, for Patson, as time goes for him, you’ll see him become a better player once he’s adjusted and adapted both domestically and to how we work. It’s a different way of working, but he’s settled in very, very well.
"Even though he hasn’t featured so much in the time he’s been here, if you look at the players, once the game has finished, he’s one of the first ones on there, supporting his team-mates and being around them. He’s a fantastic man who’s settled in very well.
"I’ve got no doubt the supporters will really enjoy watching his enthusiasm and his eye for goal during his time here."