Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Wednesday’s Premiership trip to Pittodrie.
Here are the main points:
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The squad is all fine for tomorrow apart from goalkeeper Scott Bain who is a little bit ill.
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Rodgers knows going to Pittodrie is always a challenge. Although Aberdeen haven’t had the results they wanted over last week or so, Rodgers expects a really tough game.
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Admits Celtic were punished for slackness in game at Parkhead where Aberdeen came from two goals down to draw, but expects Celtic to “go at the game from the first whistle” and cause the hosts problems.
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Rodgers was full of praise for Luke McCowan who’s been “first class for Celtic”.
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The Celtic boss insists the players that came in at the weekend “are not cover players” and says he would “have no hesitation in starting the same team at Aberdeen tomorrow night”.
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Also stresses the importance of players like Callum McGregor for younger, newer players to learn from – “The beauty of having Callum McGregor is that you create more Callum McGregors.”
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Celtic are in a better position at this point than they were the season of the invincible treble during Brendan Rodgers’ last stint but the manager says it’s up to this group to “write their own history”.
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Rodgers is definitely looking to add in the January window, says there’s “still areas I’d like to improve in the squad”. Stresses the importance of continuing to build the squad – “you can’t have contentment, need to always provide competition”.
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On interest in Luis Palma, the boss insists there’s nothing to comment on – “Luis hasn’t played a great deal of late but he’s still part of this squad”.