Celtic will look to get to the bottom of Reo Hatate’s fitness issues as they wait to learn the extent of the midfielder’s latest lay-off.
The in-form Hatate is facing several weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury early in Celtic’s 2-2 Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid.
The Japan international had a six-week spell out with a similar problem towards the end of last season and missed a month with a calf injury earlier this term.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Hibernian, manager Brendan Rodgers said: “We don’t have a definitive timeline but he will definitely be out for a few weeks. We are just waiting for it to settle down and waiting for the result and we will see where he’s at but it looked quite a bad one.
“If you watch the game, the first 35 seconds he has over-stretched and he has felt it early on.
“It’s such a shame for him. It’s a different one. He was out with his hamstring last year, it’s his other one this time. So we just need to try to get to the bottom of that.”
Paulo Bernardo, who is yet to start a game since his loan move from Benfica, replaced Hatate on Wednesday.
“It’s always disappointing when players of that quality are missing but our strength is our team and Paulo came in and made his longest appearance he has made,” Rodgers said. “And I thought he coped very, 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. It always presents an opportunity.
“For any player, whoever it is coming in, without forcing it, you want them to make an 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.
“And (Bernardo) certainly did that the other night. He worked very, very hard in a high-level game, showed quality, had that bit of bite in midfield. I thought he did very well.”
Rodgers switched to a 3-5-2 formation in the second half after being pegged back following a first-half display full of pace and purpose.
“I was really proud of the team the other night in terms of how they played,” he said. “I think we are in the process of becoming a really good side at the level.
“The cynics will look at it and say, well you have got one point from three games. But it’s more than that, and it’s more than this season, it’s about next season and the season after.
“We are in the process of becoming a good side – dynamic, fast, goal threat, and defensively compact, tight, aggressive, and when the need comes in a game to have that intelligence to change tactically, then being able to do that. And the players did it really well.
“Getting to around the 70-minute mark, playing against a team that are playing 3-5-2, they can really stretch your back four. There were spaces starting to open up.
“It wasn’t so much a defensive change to plug the gap because you can still be really aggressive and progressive in 3-5-2.
“I like teams to have the flexibility to change. We may not have to do it so much domestically but it’s an option for us if need be, to change the momentum in a game.”
Rodgers will face a new opponent at Easter Road in the form of former Central Coast Mariners manager Nick Montgomery.
“I really like what Nick is trying to,” he said. “Only in the door, looking to play an offensive game.
“There will probably be lots of people telling him that’s not the way to work but I have been through that many years ago in my early stages of management.
“I like they are trying to build the game from behind, work their way through the lines with speed, with quality, and looking to play an attacking game.”
'Super simple' – Lille president rules out January exit for Jonathan David
Lille president Olivier Letang has categorically ruled out a January exit for forward Jonathan David amid links with a number of European clubs.
David is out of contract at the end of the season and has been touted as a target for the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Barcelona.
Speaking this week, the Canada international named Barcelona as his "dream" club but suggested he would prefer not to leave Lille mid-season.
And in an interview with After Foot RMC, Letang confirmed no bids have yet been tabled ahead of the January window.
"We are not going to sell him in January, and we have not received any offer for him," he said.
"Jonathan's situation is super simple. We are very happy to have him with us.
"Last season he had one more year left on his contract. We were trying to qualify for the Champions League.
"You have a guy who scores 20 to 25 goals a season. We had no obligation to sell him."
David is into his fifth season with Lille and has scored 97 goals in 202 games for the Ligue 1 side in all competitions while assisting a further 18.
Seven of those goals have arrived in 11 appearances this term, including in Champions League games against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
The 24-year-old's best league season with Lille saw him score 24 goals in 2022-23, while he has netted 19, 15 and 13 in the other full campaigns.
Lille chief Letang reiterated that David has been offered a new deal to stay on at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but selling him has never been an option.
"He is a player who scores between 20 and 25 goals and helps us qualify for the Champions League," he said.
"Plus, Jonathan loves Lille, which is his club. Our position was very clear from the beginning – we think of the athlete.
"Obviously, he already has an offer that is in his hands, the ball is in his court."
Guardiola suggests Man City's recent form played part in signing new contract
Pep Guardiola suggested Manchester City's run of four successive defeats was part of the reason for his contract extension.
The 53-year-old recently signed a two-year deal, which will run out in 2027, ending months of speculation about his future after his contract had been due to run out at the end of the campaign.
Following a 2-1 defeat to Brighton before the international break, Guardiola's side have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career.
"I felt I could not leave now. Maybe the four defeats was why," he told the club's website.
"I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, to bounce back and try to turn the situation. I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it's the truth."
Guardiola has led Manchester City to 18 major trophies during his nine-year stint at the club and posted a 72% win ratio.
He added that he was determined to help the club get back to a state where they are "more stable and more consistent".
"We have to recover that because right now we don't have it and that's the target we have to do," he said.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep's journey with Manchester City will continue, allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game.
"His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large."
Leicester's Fatawu ruled out for rest of season with ACL injury
Leicester City manager Steve Cooper confirmed Abdul Fatawu will miss the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) while playing for Ghana against Angola during the international break.
Fatawu has featured in all 11 of Leicester's Premier League matches so far this season and has registered two assists.
No Leicester player has attempted (61) or completed (29) more dribbles than him, while his 30 crosses is also a team-high in the top-flight this season.
"It's not good, it's a serious injury," said Cooper ahead of their match against Chelsea on Saturday.
"It's a real blow, first and foremost for him, being a young player and having an injury as serious as what an ACL is.
"Albeit, it can be quite common in sport, and in particular football, but it's still a serious injury.
"For it to happen at a young age is a blow for him and a blow for us as well.
"He's obviously a big talent and a young player, as exciting as he can be at his age, with lots to learn.
"It's only a pause, and we will make sure, as difficult as it is at the moment for him, that he comes back being a stronger player and person, which, with the mentality and character that he has, I think will be the case."
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