Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers feels they are going into Saturday’s Hampden showdown with unbeaten Aberdeen in ideal shape after a good day on and off the park for his squad.
Second-half goals from Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels kept Celtic on top of the William Hill Premiership thanks to a 2-0 home win over Dundee.
Celtic were without the injured Callum McGregor, Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah but all three are expected to be fit to face the Dons in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, with the latter getting good news from a scan on the ankle injury he suffered at Motherwell on Sunday.
“All three will be fine,” Rodgers said. “Nicolas Kuhn had a sore hip after the game at the weekend. But he trained earlier, so that was good. Callum as well, and Adam also. We’ll see their reaction. Hopefully, it will be all right.
“I think he’s got away with one there, Adam. He’s still a bit sore, a bit swollen, but the medical team tell me he’s done a bit of work. So, hopefully no reaction to it.”
Both Celtic and Aberdeen moved nine points ahead of Rangers after the Dons beat the Light Blues 2-1 at Pittodrie.
When asked if he was surprised it was Jimmy Thelin’s side and not Rangers who were proving to be their main challengers, Rodgers said: “Listen, Aberdeen have had a fantastic start. That’s a really good result for them. But as I’m sure you can respect, my focus is very much on Celtic.
“Our guys have made a brilliant start also, in terms of how they’ve been playing, the goals they’ve been scoring, secure defensively in the main and in a really good position in the Champions League.
“But it’s still so early. My first marker is after 10 games. And if I look at it after 10 games, then we’ve made a really good start. Aberdeen are there as well, but there’s still such a long way to go.
“I love going to Hampden and we’re in a really good place arriving into there. We’ve got players coming back and hopefully it’ll be a really exciting game.”
Rodgers made six changes for Dundee’s visit and was pleased with the outcome.
“It’s one of those ones where you can be more comfortable in the game if you get those early goals with two massive chances in that first period of the game,” he said.
“But it was job done. We controlled the game, created chances, should have had more goals and didn’t concede. So we have to be happy.”
Dundee manager Tony Docherty felt his side were harshly treated by referee Ross Hardie and his VAR team after conceding a penalty for a foul on Kyogo Furuhashi from Antonio Portales.
The visitors claimed Arne Engels had pulled Mohamad Sylla before breaking and playing the ball through for the Japan striker.
“I thought the boys deserved a clean sheet for the amount of work they put in out of possession,” he said.
“I think the penalty is really soft. I think there’s a foul that leads up to it on Mo Sylla. I don’t know why they don’t pick that up. I’ve seen it back.”
Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership tab...
Mark Hughes heaped praise on goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after Carlisle picked up a vital point in the League Two relegation battle with a goalless draw against in-form Colchester at Brunton Park.Breeze made two excellent saves from Lyle Taylor as the Cumbrians ended a four-game losing run and the former Man City boss was astounded by the 21-year-old’s performance.He said: “The game had som...
Chesterfield boss Paul Cook launched a scathing attack on his play-off hopefuls after they surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1 at Sky Bet League Two table-toppers Walsall.The Spireites enjoyed a rapid start when Jamie Grimes’ eighth-minute header put them ahead against a wobbling Walsall side, who were winless in five matches with the chasing pack closing in.However, Bim Pepple and Dylan D...
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has allayed fears of an injury scare to top scorer Erling Haaland ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.Haaland went down clutching his leg in the latter stages of the champions’ 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and was immediately substituted.Losing the Norwegian would be a major blow to ...
Rotherham manager Steve Evans described Thomas Parsons’ performance as “atrocious” after the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty from which Reading snatched a 2-1 victory in League One.Reading had led 1-0 at half-time through top scorer Harvey Knibbs but Sam Nombe levelled for Rotherham from a spot-kick in the 57th minute.With the game heading for a draw, Parsons adjudged Mil...
Michael Flynn believes his team can make a charge towards the League Two play-offs places after watching them come from 2-0 down to beat Barrow 3-2 at home.Matty Taylor scored twice before fellow substitute Ashley Hay hit the winner as the Robins continued their perfect home record in 2025.Cheltenham climbed to 13th in the table and sit eight points off seventh-placed Crewe with two games in hand....
Birmingham manager Chris Davies praised Jay Stansfield’s work ethic after he lit up St Andrew’s with the only goal of a 1-0 win to sink play-off chasing Charlton.Stansfield’s 23rd-minute strike stretched City’s lead to nine points ahead of second-placed Wycombe, with Blues boasting a game in hand.Victory was City’s 30th in all competitions as they extended their unbea...
Andoni Iraola refused to get carried away after Bournemouth fans were left dreaming of a potential Champions League adventure following a first league double over south-coast rivals Southampton.Travelling Cherries fans chanted of playing in European football’s premier competition next season after their side soared to fifth spot in the Premier League table thanks to a deserved 3-1 success at...
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup praised his side for fighting back to draw 1-1 at Hull after he demanded “I want to see my football team back”.The Norwich boss had some tough words for his team as they trailed 1-0 at half-time to the relegation-threatened side, including for Kellen Fisher – but the player then delivered the assist for Josh Sargent’s equaliser.The Un...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Jota has a chance of starting against Bayern Munich after scoring and impressing in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.Jota earned the club’s man-of-the-match award after cutting in from the left and curling home from 18 yards to double the lead given to the hosts by another impressive finish from Callum McGregor.The Portuguese winger has now started two gam...
