Brendan Rodgers has lauded his players’ performance but hinted the best is yet to come. “We’ll be stronger,” he told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, pointing to the imminent return of key names.
Reo Hatate was on the bench and could have seen minutes in different circumstances, while Liel Abada’s comeback adds another natural goal scorer to the mix.
Cameron Carter-Vickers will also be back after the winter break, and Rodgers is hopeful of bolstering his squad in the transfer window.
The derby win was achieved despite several absentees and a patched-up line-up. Yet Celtic’s resilience shone through, securing the points and leaving Rangers chasing shadows for long spells.
Rodgers knows that when his squad is fully fit and reinforced with fresh signings, they can raise their level even further.
Historically, Celtic often find another gear after the turn of the year, and this season’s script could follow the same pattern. The injection of returning stars combined with potential January arrivals should sharpen their title defense in the second half of the campaign.
But Rodgers was quick to stress that the job isn’t done. Before the winter pause, Celtic face St. Mirren in Paisley on Tuesday evening—a match he sees as every bit as important as the derby. A slip there, he warned, would undo the momentum built against Rangers.