Brendan Rodgers questions SPFL over 'unlucky' Celtic fixture schedule

Reo Hatate looked like he came off with a hamstring problem in midweek. Is that the case? Do you have a diagnosis?

We do not have a definitive timeline but he'll be out for a few weeks. We are just waiting on for it to settle down. We are awaiting the result to see where he is at. It looked like quite a bad one.

Is is a strain or is it a tear?

If you watch the game in the first 35 seconds he has overstretched and he's felt it very early on. It is such a shame for him. It's a different one as he was out with his hamstring last year but it is the other one this time. We just need to try and get to the bottom of it.

Given the exertions of midweek, how mindful are you of utilising your squad across the games coming up?

I am very mindful. You've got to be robust as well at the level. I think lots of these players are. You play last weekend, you play midweek, and then you have got another tough game at the weekend so that is being at a big club. Your body is trained for that and you have to prepared for that and so on. There is no doubt as I said last week over this period of seven games in 21 days we would be making some changes within it.

Callum McGregor was speaking after the game about a switch in formation during the game he sort of indicated that might be something you do moving forward again. Is that something you may do in order to better prepare your team, particularly for Europe?

Yes. I was really proud of the team the other night in terms of how they played. We are in the process of becoming a really good side and I know the cynics will look at it and say you have one point from three games but it's more than that. It's about the next season and the season after. We are in the process of becoming a good side, dynamic, fast and a goal threat going forward and defensively compact and tight and when the need comes in a game we have that intelligence to change tactically and being able to do that. I felt that the players did that really well. It was a game where you get to the 70 minute mark and you are playing against a team that are playing a 3-5-2 and they really stretch your back line. There was spaces starting to open up and it wasn't so much a defensive change to plug a gap as you can still be really aggressive and progressive in a 3-5-2 system. I like teams to have that flexibility to change and we may not have to do it as much domestically but it is an option for us if need be to change the momentum in a game.

Are you taking a more long term view of progress in Europe? The way you are speaking it sounds like a bigger picture in terms of what we are doing now, we will get better year on year in the Champions League but there might be a few bumps but there is a bigger picture?

There always is a process. The supporters and ourselves want to win now. I think what we have shown is that you have to develop at this level. It is not like you are playing at that tempo and level every week as there is always an adaption. I think the players adapted really well. They are playing against a really good side. They are a team that will have aspirations to win the Champions League. We were more than a match for them in every capacity. You know they are a fantastic team but for me it is all about that progress and it may not show in points but certainly in performance level we have probably surprised a few in our group. We have to keep that going and that is about progression as a team and progression of quality within the squad.

In terms of performance what does that do for the group in terms looking to the remainder of the campaign?

It is three games in and it should give us confidence but it does not take away from the fact that it is three tough games. We have shown in the three games that we are more than competitive. We have genuine quality at that level to hurt teams. We will look to tale that confidence into the remaining three games.

Matt O'Riley produced another player of the match performance. How impressed are you with the levels that he is hitting?

I have been so pleased for Matt because he works very hard at his game. His contribution is one that you want from a number eight in midfield. Someone who can create goals and score goals but he also puts in a real shift defensively. He presses the game well and does a lot of the dirty stuff well. He wins headers and blocks but he has real high level technical quality and it is great for him. At the very highest level he has shown that not only can he do it domestically he can also perform in the Champions League and I am really pleased for him.

You touched upon it at the start of the season that you wanted him to boots his goalscoring numbers and that must be really pleasing for you?

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers slams Celtic festive fixture schedule change

For him it is great but more so for the team. It's efficiency we want and those players in those positions have got to create and score. If you look at last weekend, Matt makes forward runs into the box and he scores a goal. Reo makes a forward run into the box and he creates a goal for Daizen Maeda. It's all pleasing but it also has to be continual.

Reo is a big loss but was the performance of Paulo Bernardo a big positive?

It's always disappointing when players are missing and players of that quality but our strength is our team and Paulo comes in and makes his longest appearance and he coped very well. We have a number of young players that can step up if Reo is going to be out for a period of time. What it always does is present an opportunity for the guys. The guys that are working very hard will get the chance to come in and play.

Is the challenge now for Paulo to build on that and really make an impact?

I think for any player coming in, without forcing it, you want them to make the impact. I don't want them to feel big pressure that this is the only chance they are going to get but take the opportunity when it comes. He certainly did that the other night. He worked really hard in a high level game and showed quality and he had that bit of bite in midfield. I thought he did really well.

What have you made of Hibs under Nick Montgomery?

I really like what Nick is trying to do. He is only in the door and looking to play an offensive game. He has an offensive philosophy and he probably has lots of people telling him that is not the way to work and the way to do it. I've been through that many years ago in my early stages of management. I really like that they are trying to build the game from the back and work their way through the lines with speed and quality. He is looking to play an attacking game. It is the traditions of Hibs as a club and it is a club that I've ever known that have always tried to play good football. He is just trying to implement his ideas into the club and the team and they've had some really good performances. It is a tough game for us.

In the domestic game you sometimes have to come up against a low block do you expect that to be different against Hibs? Is this a different type of challenge domestically?

They want to play. They want to build the game. Listen, there is no right or wrong style or system it is what a manager or coach believes in. It is what he works on everyday. It is what he has studied throughout his career. You only really know what your philosophy is when you are stood on the touchline under pressure when the light is shining on you and the curtains go back and the crowd is on top of you. That is when you know what your philosophy is. Nick is clear in how he wants to work which is great. You need that inherent belief. For us whether you are playing against a low block or a team that is going to be expansive you have to deal with what's in front of you.

You had a really strong start against Hearts. Is it important to do that again in a similar environment as well?

Every game we go into my idea is that good teams start quick and finish strong. We've started to take that on board now. We are starting games very well. It is imperative. That is our idea. We want to impose our game on the opposition as early as we can and create problems for the opposition as early as we can. There is no change in our mentality.

Can I ask you about Maik Nawrocki. Is the challenge for you to give him game time so he is available?

It is not a challenge. It's a game. It is not under-10s where you have got to play everyone every week. We bring the players in to compete and fight for the shirt. Unfortunately for Maik, he was out for a number of weeks and people have come in and did exceptionally well. He will not have to fight and work for his place in the team. He will also play games. It is a long season and it is still very early in the season and he is doing very well in training.

Did everybody apart from Reo come through the Atletico game okay?

Apart from Reo, everyone is good. They have recovered. They had a nice session on Friday morning and they are raring to go.

Are you expecting an energy sapping type of game and will you be at full throttle again?

One hundred per cent. It is the modern game. We will be ready to go. The guys here get prepared so well. The staff here are immaculate in terms of the recovery process. We are back in the next day - rest and recover - and analysing for this game and form the first whistle we will be at it and we know we can make five changes to effect the game. When you play for a big club like this you have to be ready to go in every game for at least over 50 games a season.

You may not have had much time to think about this but your festive game has been changed to Boxing Day from December 27th. Is that an issue for the supporters who now have to travel up to Dundee on Boxing Day?

I just saw that. It is not ideal and we would have preferred it to stay as it was, especially at that time of the year. It is interesting and I am pretty sure I am correct in this but for the last seven years Celtic have been away at that period of the season. So, either Celtic are very, very unlucky to be drawn away or someone is making tricks behind the scenes. Seven years on the spin this club has been drawn away at that time of the season. Now that's not right for supporters. Hopefully, they can maybe look at that going forward.