"We don't make statements & do all sorts of things," Brendan

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Callum McGregor, Hibs v Celtic. 22 February 2025.Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: In terms of you guys, obviously, 11 games to go in the league. Is that a case of focusing on your work? You had that all season, I guess. Obviously, we see events elsewhere taking the headlines and all that stuff. Is it just about business as usual and getting your head down to the finishing line?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I think it’s professionalism and focus, which is very important. We obviously need to bounce back from the weekend. But the weekend was another opportunity for us to show that when you’re not quite on it then teams can hurt you. It’s also a great measure of how focused and professional the team has been. We’ve had very few slip-ups over the course of the season. We did it at the weekend. We’re hungry to respond now, tomorrow evening. It’s at this time of the season when you’ve really got to narrow in your focus on your performance, into your recovery, into your preparation and just focus on the next game.”

Hibs v Celtic. 22 February 2025.Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How’s the squad for tomorrow?

Brendan Rodgers: “Same as the weekend. They’re all in a good place. James is still a bit away from joining the squad. He is out on the field. It’s the same squad.”

Paulo Bernardo of Celtic is seen during training on January 28, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: How’s Paulo looking from the ankle injury? Is he still another three or four weeks behind?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, he’s still a wee bit of time away. We’ve given him a little bit of time off. He’s obviously back in now. So, yes, he’s still a bit of time away.”

Aberdeen Manager Jimmy Thelin applauds the fans at full-time. Final score Aberdeen 2 theRangers 1. Aberdeen v theRangers, Scottish Premiership, Pittodrie, Aberdeen, 30 October 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Q: What do you expect from tomorrow night’s game?

Brendan Rodgers: “I expect a tough game. Celtic-Aberdeen are always good games. We’ve obviously played well in them this season. Jimmy Thelin got off to a brilliant start and then the highs and lows of football for a difficult period. He’s been able to look and see in that early five or six months in the building, he’ll be looking at the internal culture of the club and the training ground and how that looks. Then he’s been able to freshen that up in January and bring in his sort of profile of players that can make his system maybe work even better. So, they’ve picked up in the last few games. So, I expect a really tough game and that’s what we’ve prepared for.”

Celtic v Aberdeen – Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin centre right shake hands with Gavin Molloy right after the final whistle in the Scottish l Premiership match at Celtic Park on Saturday October 19, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

Q: The home league game against Aberdeen the 2-2 draw is the only game that you have conceded goals in the league at Parkhead league all season. That’s a record worth protecting, isn’t it?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, pressing for me is everything. That’s the starting point and that’s where everything else comes from. So, our ability to press the game from the top of the field is key in our work and that defensive record is a great credit to the team. People will look at the back four and goalkeeper naturally, of course, because they are those last points of our defence as such. But our pressing and defensive mentality, is the foundation for us to play the football that we want to play. At home on that day, we conceded two disappointing goals. Other than that, I can’t really complain.”