Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been talking to the media before his side’s Scottish Premiership match against Hibs on Saturday.
Here are the best bits from his press conference:
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On his manager of the month award for November, Rodgers called it a “collective” effort and praised his players for performing “fantastically well”.
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Rodgers was asked about Celtic facing a potential fine for fans’ use of pyrotechnics during last month’s League Cup semi-final win, and says he doesn’t “see what it adds to the game”. “It’s right they look into it and try to stop it, hopefully,” he added.
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He wants the safety of supporters in the stands and players on the pitch to be prioritised. Celtic’s semi-final was delayed after pyro was set off, and Rodgers says the players “standing about” could have easily led to muscle injuries.
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The Celtic boss says the depth of quality in his squad has allowed him to rotate during a packed fixture schedule, which has in turn led to a reduction in injuries – there are no fresh concerns before Hibs visit Parkhead.
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On Hibs, Rodgers says he is “delighted” that opposite number David Gray has started to pick up more positive results in recent weeks and believes they have been “unfortunate in some games”.
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Looking back at Wednesday’s win over Aberdeen, Rodgers praised goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for his performance in awful weather conditions. “He’s a world-class shot-stopper, he’s great with his feet and his handling is so clean.”
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Rodgers also joked that centre-back pairing Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty conspired to “make themselves look heroic” with the moment late on at Pittodrie where Carter-Vickers blocked Ester Sokler’s shot over the bar.
