Erik ten Hag has indicated the door is still open for Jadon Sancho to save his Manchester United career but said the winger must buy into the culture he has created at the club.

Sancho has not played for United since August, and fell out with Ten Hag in early September when he responded to comments made by the manager regarding his performances in training by saying he had been made a “scapegoat”.

Although Sancho later deleted the social media post, he has not made the apology that Ten Hag demanded and has continued to train alone.

Sancho has scored 24 goals in 92 appearances for United since a £73million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. A January move would appear to suit all parties, but when asked directly if Sancho’s time was up, Ten Hag said it was still in the player’s hands.

“It is about a culture and every player has to match certain standards and it was about that,” the manager said. “What will happen there, he knows what he has to do, if he wants to return it is up to him. He knows what he has to do, it is up to him.”

Ten Hag has been determined to improve discipline at the club since his arrival in Manchester 18 months ago.

Young winger Alejandro Garnacho was one of the first to get a taste of that when he was dropped during the summer tour of 2022 after turning up late for meetings, but the 19-year-old learned his lessons well.

Garnacho has been one of the star performers in recent weeks, and as Ten Hag won the Premier League manager of the month award for November and Harry Maguire took player of the month honours, Garnacho made it a hat-trick with his outstanding bicycle kick at Everton winning goal of the month.

“There is big potential and there is a lot to build on but we are happy with his performing in this moment and happy with his contribution,” Ten Hag said.

“The foundation and basis is always the defending part of his game but attacking-wise he has the key actions – assists, counter-attacks and scoring goals, that is very important for an offensive player that you have the production.”

Garnacho’s form on the left has come at a time when Marcus Rashford continues to struggle for form, having been dropped for the midweek 2-1 win over Chelsea.

That came after the defensive side of Rashford’s game was criticised in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle last weekend.

Ten Hag said it was up to the England forward to force his way back into the side, but denied that Rashford was lacking when it came to tracking back.

“‘Rashy’ knows exactly what to do, nowadays in football it is not possible,” he said. “All top-level teams and all players are doing the jobs. When you can’t do it you will not play but I don’t attach that to ‘Rashy’ as he is doing the job.”

Any comeback may need to wait, with Rashford a doubt for Saturday’s match against Bournemouth after missing training through illness on Friday.

Ange Postecoglou is unequivocal in his belief that Tottenham will come through this tough period but has warned his squad, life will never be comfortable during his reign.

Spurs claimed an unwanted Premier League record on Thursday night when they went ahead for a fifth-consecutive Premier League match, but again failed to hold on with West Ham able to secure a 2-1 away win.

It continued the club’s poor run of results, which has coincided with their squad being depleted by injuries and suspensions but the latest example of Postecoglou’s team taking the lead and throwing it away sparked debate over the historic ‘Spursy’ tag.

While Postecoglou insisted rival fans using that word was akin to playground chat, he acknowledged his players must embrace the pressure if they are to be part of his journey in north London.

“That’s schoolyard stuff. All I need to know is that this club hasn’t won anything for 15 years. That’s all I need to know,” Postecoglou said ahead of Sunday’s visit of Newcastle.

“Why that is and why others may think that is and whatever tag, that’s the reality. There’s no getting away from that.

“There’s no point in me trying to disguise that, or anybody else at this football club trying to disguise that.

“If you want to be successful, then like most organisations, you’ve got to learn from the mistakes of the past, you’ve got to come up with a plan, you’ve got to stick to it.

“I have been there and I have the benefit of experience. I’ve been through this many times, so I know, unequivocally, what we need to do, but for a lot of these guys, it’s the first time and I’m always mindful of that wherever I’ve been.

“Always in the first season there are challenges.

“Players need to go through that and come out the other side and see that, ‘OK, we’ve survived that. It hasn’t killed us, we’re still going, we’re still alive, we’re still up for it,’ right? And then if anything, it can make us stronger going forward.

“My role in this is to guide the players through it. I know how we get through this and I know what the road ahead looks like, but they’ve got to go through it themselves and find out about it themselves.

“Do they want to be part of this because it’s not going to get any easier. That’s the one thing I keep telling them. There’s never going to be a time where it’s going to be smooth – not while I’m at the club.

“Even when things are going well. I’m going to be pushing for us to be better. I’m going to be pushing for us to improve and pushing for us to bring success to this football club.

“So, there’s never going to be a time where they can feel any sort of comfort that things are going to run smoothly. The more they embrace this side of it, the better.”

Tottenham’s major problem in recent weeks has been turning their dominance into goals and they have scored only once in four of their last five matches.

Postecoglou’s team gained plaudits for being great entertainers during the opening months of the campaign when they embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run, but he knows they must marry that with a killer edge.

“I don’t play this kind of football to entertain. I play this kind of football because it wins,” he said.

“Now it happens to also entertain, which I like, but I don’t think they need to be mutually exclusive.

“My whole career has been about winning things. That’s why I want us to play the way we are.

“That’s where you can sometimes fall down a trap and it’s happened at every club I’ve been at, where the players sometimes think playing that football is enough – it’s not.”

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is not surprised by James Milner’s longevity and said his old team-mate is perhaps the hardest-working player he has ever known.

Kompany will come up against Milner on Saturday when the Clarets head south to take on Brighton, the club Milner joined in the summer after eight years at Liverpool.

The 37-year-old has made 13 appearances for the Seagulls despite some injury niggles, lending his wealth of experience as Roberto De Zerbi’s squad balances the demands of European football with their domestic duties for the first time.

“He’s older than me!” joked Kompany, who is three months Milner’s junior. “I’m not surprised and if there’s one guy that was going to do that it was going to be Milly. His longevity – it’s because he’s probably the hardest working player I’ve ever played with.

“I’ve seen his journey from being this winger, attacking midfielder, central midfielder, full-back. And every single time people would have bet against him. But if you know him and his personality, you would never bet a penny against him…

“There might have been loads of players who are better than James, but how many have had his career? Very, very few.”

Milner’s medal collection includes a Champions League crown with Liverpool and three Premier League titles. He won two of those alongside Kompany at City before joining Liverpool on a free transfer in 2015.

That exit left a sour taste among many in the blue half of Manchester, but not Kompany.

“You always want your best players to stay but for his career it was a great move,” he said. “I’ve always wanted him to do well.”

Saturday’s trip to the Amex Stadium will bring back happy memories for Kompany, who lifted the Premier League trophy there in 2019 in his final game in English football.

“It feels like a lifetime ago, the job I’m in consumes you that much,” he said. “But, yeah, it was four-and-a-half years ago – it feels like it was 20 years ago.

“I’d be rubbish if I was in that profession now. But they are good memories and maybe in the future – maybe one Christmas – those moments can be replayed with the kids.”

City won 4-1 that day to pip Liverpool – and Milner – to the title by one point with a run of 14 straight victories, perhaps fortunate to come across a Brighton side who had only ensured their own top-flight survival the weekend before when Cardiff lost to Crystal Palace.

But the club Burnley will face on Saturday have come a long, long way since then, and are seen by many as the model club for anyone wanting to challenge the Premier League’s top sides.

Kompany pointed out Burnley were a model themselves for a long time, having held their own in the top flight for seven years despite limited resources, and said it was not as simple as trying to copy what someone has done.

“If this is a path, then I don’t think we should compare ourselves to them, absolutely not,” he said.

“We’re at a completely different stage, but there is a template that’s taken time for them to develop and that’s obviously allowing them to compete above their means.

“That should be a goal for any team in this league.”

Juventus moved top of Serie A, for 24 hours at least, with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over reigning champions Napoli.

Federico Gatti headed the only goal of the game early in the second half to take his side a point above Inter Milan, who face Udinese at San Siro on Saturday evening.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri had challenged his players to rectify the club’s wretched recent results against Napoli, Juve having lost five of their last seven league meetings including a 5-1 thrashing in January.

And the Bianconeri boss got what he wanted after the home side weathered an early storm at the Allianz Stadium to record their 11th win of the season.

Napoli started brightly and were inches away from taking the lead in the ninth minute, Matteo Politano’s curling shot leaving Wojciech Szczesny flat-footed but agonisingly grazing the outside of the post.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia then failed to even hit the woodwork as he wasted a glorious chance shortly before the half-hour mark.

Victor Osimhen superbly controlled a long clearance on his chest and drew both Juventus central defenders out of position before squaring the ball to Kvaratskhelia, who took a slightly heavy touch before blazing his shot over the bar as Szczesny dived at his feet.

Szczesny was in the thick of the action again 10 minutes later as he produced a stunning reflex save from Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who had been gifted a clear sight of goal after Bremer inadvertently headed the ball off team-mate Gatti.

The flag did go up for offside as Juve struggled to clear their lines, but that took nothing away from the brilliance of the former Arsenal goalkeeper as the sides headed into the interval on level terms.

Parity lasted just five minutes of the second period, Andrea Cambiaso providing a perfect cross from the right for Gatti to head home from just five yards out.

Szczesny looked to have undone all his good work in the 71st minute when he hit a careless clearance straight to substitute Eljif Elmas, who headed the ball straight to Osimhen to fire home, only for Osimhen to be correctly ruled offside.

Napoli piled on the pressure in the final minutes as Juventus defended deep, but Giacomo Raspadori’s low shot was comfortably saved by Szczesny at the foot of the post.

Walter Mazzarri has now won just one of his first four games in charge since returning to Napoli for a second spell, a run of results which leaves his side fifth in the table and 12 points behind Juve.

Callum O’Hare netted a brace as Coventry beat Birmingham 2-0 at the CBS Arena.

The former Aston Villa midfielder had not scored for over 18 months after suffering a serious knee injury on Boxing Day last year and was starting just his second game since returning from injury.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring after he was played in by Milan van Ewijk before his superb solo goal made the three points safe in the second half.

O’Hare’s goals also meant Mark Robins’ men claimed their second consecutive home win, moving them above Blues and up to 14th in the table.

Blues’ woes under Wayne Rooney continued as Birmingham were handed their sixth loss in nine games since the former Manchester United striker replaced John Eustace and had John Ruddy to thank that the deficit was kept to one for the majority of the second half.

The visitors had started positively when Coventry failed to clear their lines and Krystian Bielik’s effort was saved by Brad Collins.

Collins had to be on hand again a minute later to keep Juninho Bacuna’s effort at bay.

Coventry started to get a foothold in the game midway through the first half and looked a threat down the right through Van Ewijk, whose cross found O’Hare but his effort was beaten away by Ruddy.

Robins’ side opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Van Ewijk and O’Hare combined again before the 25-year-old held off the challenge of Lee Buchanan to stab his effort in at the near post in front of over 26,000 spectators in the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues then had appeals for a penalty waved away when the ball struck Koji Miyoshi on the arm before half-time.

Coventry went in search of a second after the break as Haji Wright had a hat-trick of chances to extend the lead.

Firstly, the American met Van Ewijk’s pinpoint cross but his downward header was comfortable for Ruddy, who then bravely blocked Wright’s second effort with his face a minute later after the forward beat Bacuna down the left.

Ruddy was called into action again when he gathered Wright’s low effort after he cut inside from the left for a second time after O’Hare’s delightful outside-of-the-foot pass.

Van Ewijk was next to test Ruddy’s resolve when his powerful free-kick was clawed away by the former Norwich keeper before Tatsuhiro Sakamato’s effort was also kept out.

O’Hare completed his brace and gave Coventry breathing space on 77 minutes with a superb solo effort.

Dancing across the box, terrified Birmingham defenders watched on as O’Hare blasted in his second to complete a memorable night for the Sky Blues midfielder.

Raith fought back to edge a seven-goal cinch Championship thriller at home to Partick Thistle to move top of the table after extending their unbeaten league run to eight matches following a topsy-turvy 4-3 win.

November signing Daniel O’Reilly headed Sam Stanton’s cross home following a corner for his first goal for the club after 13 minutes but the next six goals were to come after the break.

Dylan Easton doubled Rovers’ lead at the start of the second half as he picked out the bottom corner but an own goal from O’Reilly reduced the deficit as he got the last touch on Kerr McInroy’s free-kick.

Brian Graham fired home a penalty to put the visitors level just before the hour mark and Blair Alston put the Jags ahead for the first time as he slotted the ball home at the far post 10 minutes later.

But Raith were not done yet and they scored two goals in quick succession as first, Callum Smith’s curling effort found the bottom corner, while Stanton fired Smith’s assist home with eight minutes remaining to clinch maximum points.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson knows his team is in for a tough time given their draw for next year’s CONMEBOL Copa America but fancies their chances of beating the odds.

This, as their Group B opponents –Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador –are all familiar foes to some extent, and given the significant improvements in terms of the quality of players his Reggae Boyz squad now boats, Hallgrimsson believes the group is going to produce some very interesting matches.

Though this will be his first time leading the Reggae Boyz in the prestigious Copa America, the occasion marks the third time Jamaica will grace South American tournament, after appearances in 2015 when they faced Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, and 2016 when they opposed Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.

“I didn't know much about Venezuela, but after thinking, it's tough teams really, all the three teams. If I can say something similar about them all, is that they are competitive, really hard working, and all of these nations play enthusiastic and tough tackling football. So, it's all tough, tough opponents, but I think it's quite an equal group,” Hallgrimsson said.

“So that means, I don't think any team will be a runaway winner with nine points in this group. I think all teams will have a chance against each other, so it is quite an equal group. There is not a team that anybody can take for granted, and I don’t think there is a team that will be a runaway winner,” he added.

While Jamaica has squared off against Mexico and Venezuela a number of times over the years, they have only faced Ecuador three times in 2009, 2011 and 2018, losing two of those games 2-5 and 0-2, while the other ended in a goalless stalemate.

“So, in that sense if we prepare well and get our points, we will always have a chance to progress from this group, but I think all the teams will think the same. So, that is my feeling and after looking at the opponents I feel a little bit better,” Hallgrimsson declared.

“I didn't know much about Venezuela, I knew a little bit about Ecuador, and of course, we know a lot about Mexico, but I think that everyone has a chance in these games. So, all teams can pick points from each other,” he noted.

Having produced a stunning comeback to better Canada in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal recently, Hallgrimsson pointed out that their preparations will be focused on maintaining that momentum in the semi-final against United States, before turning their focus to the Copa America in June.

“We had already made a plan what was going to happen. So, the early months of the year, in January, maybe half of February, we'll go in Jamaica for domestic players. Hopefully we will get a friendly against a Caribbean nation or maybe in United States. So, in January US-based players can also play these matches.

“But the plan was always to focus on the domestic based players in January and maybe beginning of February. Then from maybe mid-February, we have to think about the Nation's League semifinal against US. So, we turn our focus to that project and then of course after that we will have the draw for the World Cup (qualifying) games,” the Icelandic coach shared.

“So that will be complete focus on those games. So, we are kind of forced to turn our focus to the next project all the time and then after the World Cup (qualifying) games we we've turned our focus to the Copa America. So that is our plan, it's a full schedule and we have to be really focused on every project, because all of these matches are important,” he ended.

Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26, before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.

In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.

Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi cancelled a planned press conference to preview his side’s Serie A clash with Udinese, according to reports in the Italian media.

No reason was given for Inzaghi’s decision not to speak and he has not conducted any interviews with the club’s in-house media either.

Inter, who topped the table after last Sunday’s 3-0 win at Napoli, are hoping to maintain their strong start to the season in the near sell-out clash at San Siro.

The club have reported more than 70,000 tickets have been sold for the game, with just the last remaining tickets available.

Inter go into the match high in confidence after just one defeat in their opening 14 fixtures of the season.

Inzaghi also has a strong record against Udinese, having won 11 of his 14 games against them as a coach in Serie A.

Udinese, who are 16th, are seeking only a second league win of the campaign after conceding a late equaliser in last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Verona.

Head coach Gabriele Cioffi told his club’s website: “I’m expecting a really tough game.

“I’m convinced that even if you prepare perfectly for Inter, they have players that can find imperfection in perfection.

“All it takes is one misplaced pass, so we’ll need to work really hard as a team to try to take the chances that they may afford us.

“That doesn’t mean that we go there knowing we’ll get them, but with the healthy fear that we want to take them as they could see us return to Udine with points in the bag.”

Thomas Tuchel expects Eintracht Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller to exploit his inside knowledge of the Bayern Munich players this weekend.

German champions Bayern return to action after the postponement of last weekend’s clash with Union Berlin as they travel to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Toppmoller was a member of the Bayern backroom staff under current boss Tuchel’s predecessor Julian Nagelsmann before he was sacked in March.

“We haven’t made too many changes since and so he’s going to look back on our recent games and analyse them,” Tuchel told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

“But that is nothing unusual. We cannot leave out every player that worked with him because we wouldn’t have a team then! It’s part of the business.”

Frankfurt appointed 43-year-old Toppmoller in the summer and Tuchel has been impressed with his start in the job.

Frankfurt head into the weekend’s fixtures seventh in the table, 14 points behind second-placed Bayern, who have also played a game fewer.

“I think you can tell his style of playing,” said former Chelsea manager Tuchel.

“They’re just missing the results but, when we were analysing the games, we couldn’t really see the defeats and that is definitely credit to him.

“I’ve only heard good feedback about him here from the staff, from the players and it’s good that he’s going about his business. He’s going to make life difficult for us.”

Tuchel feels his players are raring to go after the frustration of last week’s cancellation due to heavy snow in Munich.

He said: “We wanted to up the ante against Union Berlin with more aggression and investing more. We were ready until everything was called off.

“Now it is our job to really keep the level up. It was unusual but these are things you cannot change. We’ve trained intensively and aggressively. Now we want to take the next step and win.”

Forward Jamal Musiala is back in contention for Bayern after a month on the sidelines but is not ready to play a full 90 minutes. Matthijs De Ligt and Bouna Sarr remain on the sidelines but Tuchel otherwise has a fully-fit squad available.

Bayern this week announced a deal to sign 22-year-old Spanish winger Bryan Zaragoza from Granada next summer.

Tuchel said: “We’ve signed up a very young and hungry player. He’s a good dribbler, strong in one-on-ones. He has a lot of confidence and hunger. We’re glad he’s coming to us.”

Paris St Germain’s teenage sensation Warren Zaire-Emery is set for a swift return to action – less than three weeks after suffering an injury playing for France.

The 17-year-old midfielder was initially expected to be sidelined for the remainder of 2023 due to a sprained ankle on his international debut – a 14-0 win over Gibraltar – on November 20.

But PSG boss Luis Enrique confirmed Zaire-Emery is in contention to feature in Saturday evening’s Ligue 1 match against Nantes.

“Warren Zaire-Emery is doing well,” the head coach told a press conference.

“He trained well. He is available. It is fantastic news for the players, for the team.”

While there was positive news on Zaire-Emery, who has scored twice in 11 league outings this term, PSG have issues in goal.

Former Spain Under-21 keeper Arnau Tenas is in line to make his first senior start as Gianluigi Donnarumma is suspended following his red card in last weekend’s 2-0 win at Le Havre, while Keylor Navas and Alexandre Letellier are injured.

Enrique has backed 22-year-old rookie Tenas, who came off the bench following Donnarumma’s dismissal, to fill the void.

“I’m happy to have so many good players around me,” said Enrique.

“Regarding Arnau, it’s important to highlight that he worked hard to be ready when we needed him.

“That’s what happened last week, he turned up. We know how good he is, and he works hard to be ready at any given moment.”

PSG have won seven league matches in a row ahead of the weekend game at Parc des Princes.

The fixture comes four days before the league leaders attempt to secure progression to the last 16 of the Champions League away at Borussia Dortmund.

Enrique insists his side are not looking beyond ninth-place Nantes, who last week appointed Jocelyn Gourvennec as their new manager following the departure of Pierre Aristouy.

Gourvennec secured a 1-0 victory over Nice in his first match to end the club’s poor run of form, which had brought just a single point from the previous four games.

“The game against Nantes is a big one, and we have another big game in a few days’ time but we’re focused on Saturday’s game,” said Enrique.

“Nantes have got a new manager, who has changed a few things around but will still want his team to perform well against us.

“It’s important for us to play well at home in order to prepare for the game against Dortmund in the best way possible.”

Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz is unavailable as he undergoes further tests after dislocating his right shoulder against Le Havre, while Achraf Hakimi missed training on Friday due to personal reasons.

Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes remain sidelined but Marquinhos is available to return following three matches out with a hamstring problem.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti remains confident Jude Bellingham is getting stronger every day from his shoulder problem – but feels surgery cannot be ruled out if the issue flares up again.

The England midfielder is enjoying a standout debut campaign with Los Blancos, having scored 15 goals so far in all competitions.

Bellingham, 20, had been sidelined ahead of the international break, missing England’s final Euro 2024 qualifiers, as he managed a dislocated shoulder.

After returning to club duties, the midfielder then picked up an ankle issue during the Champions League win over Napoli.

Bellingham has been doing some training sessions in the gym this week ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga match at Real Betis.

Ancelotti moved to allay any fears over a serious setback, but accepts the club will have to monitor how Bellingham’s shoulder responds to on-going treatment alongside a hectic match schedule.

“Bellingham is working on his own because he still has to recover from the ankle injury he had against Napoli. He has recovered well,” the Real Madrid coach said.

“The shoulder is something he has to look after to strengthen it on his own. He hasn’t had any problem to play, and every day that goes by, he is improving in that sense.”

Pressed if Bellingham might need surgery, Ancelotti told a press conference: “Not right now. The shoulder is very particular. If it happens again or keeps happening, maybe, but we will see.”

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has stepped up his recovery from a thigh injury, but Ukraine international Andriy Lunin could still retain his place between the posts against Betis.

“Nothing has changed with Kepa, we still trust him just as we did. Lunin has shown character and personality,” Ancelotti said.

“The good thing is that we have both, and one could play and the other could. One could play tomorrow, but another another time, there could be rotation.”

Real head to Betis looking to extend a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Ancelotti is expecting a stern test from Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who sit seventh and are unbeaten at home in LaLiga so far.

“It will be a difficult game because Betis are doing very well,” Ancelotti said. “Especially at home, they are solid and well organised.

“We have to try to do our best and try to win, to continue our good form that we have had lately. The game will be difficult, but we’re confident of doing a good job.”

Former Real Madrid boss Pellegrini is relishing facing his old club.

“They have always been very close matches in the last three years, since I have been here we have lost by one goal, we have tied – and there has been a lot of controversy regarding those goals,” Pellegrini said at a press conference.

“They are very important games for us and I hope we have the opportunity to beat Real Madrid.

“They have been very close games and hopefully tomorrow we will win. If we are not capable, then we will go for the next game.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hopes Sunday’s trip to Rugby Park is among the last few times his team have to play on artificial pitches in the cinch Premiership.

Kilmarnock aim to install a grass pitch in their stadium once their new training ground is up and running, although that is still at the planning application stage.

Reports claim that discussions will be held in the new year over potential rule changes to ban artificial pitches in the top flight.

Livingston manager David Martindale this week claimed that moving from plastic to grass could cost them £2.5million but other teams in the top division would likely welcome a rule change.

Rodgers said: “It’s a constant conversation. It’s clear that every coach would want to play, I’m pretty sure, on a grass pitch.

“The sooner that is the possibility up here then the better it would be for everyone.

“I understand the economics of it all and what it would mean for some clubs, but there should be a certain level or a certain standard of which every team, if you are playing in the top flight, should have a grass pitch.”

Celtic suffered a 1-0 Viaplay Cup defeat on Kilmarnock’s pitch in August, but Rodgers believes his side are better equipped for Sunday’s trip to Ayrshire.

“Certainly where the team is at now is a far different place to back then,” Rodgers said.

“It was probably a good time to play us with players coming in and the challenges we had. It’s a different team – the structure and attitude is different.

“That doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy game. Derek (McInnes) has really put his team in a good place in the top six and they are hard to beat.”

Oh Hyeon-gyu affirmed his hopes of playing in the Asian Cup in January after netting two goals in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Hibernian in only his second start under Rodgers.

With Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda also in the running for the Japan squad, Rodgers is poised to go into the transfer market for a striker and his club were this week linked with a move for Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski.

“It will depend,” he said, when asked about his plans for a new striker in January. “Clearly we are trying to anticipate over the last few months the guys that will go away to the Asian Cup.

“Clearly if Daizen is away, Kyogo is away and Oh is away, we would have to do something in the market.”

Mikey Johnston was also given a rare start against Hibs but Rodgers told the winger in a post-match media interview that he had to “do more”.

When asked about how to get the best out of players, Rodgers said: “That’s always the challenge of a coach. You are having to find many different ways to do it but, of course, you are always best being honest.

“Mikey knows that. The reason Mikey is still here, from the summer, is because I rate him as a player. I could easily have put him out on loan but I know his talent and I want to do everything I possibly can to allow him to maximise that talent.

“He has made great strides in his training performance just in terms of his consistency, and made an impact coming off the bench, but I know how much he wants to play for Celtic and start for Celtic.

“I know he was disappointed himself the other night. But without forcing it you hope you can see his qualities on a regular basis.

“He is a very, very talented player, one of the very best to come out of the academy here in terms of talent, individual quality, one v one, speed, he’s got stronger as well.

“But he’s not a baby anymore. He is 24 and if you want to start regularly for Celtic you have to have a robustness, you have to be mentally strong, you have to be competitive and physically brave.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hopes Sunday’s trip to Rugby Park is among the last few times his team have to play on artificial pitches in the cinch Premiership.

Kilmarnock aim to install a grass pitch in their stadium once their new training ground is up and running, although that is still at the planning application stage.

Reports claim that discussions will be held in the new year over potential rule changes to ban artificial pitches in the top flight.

Livingston manager David Martindale this week claimed that moving from plastic to grass could cost them £2.5million but other teams in the top division would likely welcome a rule change.

Rodgers said: “It’s a constant conversation. It’s clear that every coach would want to play, I’m pretty sure, on a grass pitch.

“The sooner that is the possibility up here then the better it would be for everyone.

“I understand the economics of it all and what it would mean for some clubs, but there should be a certain level or a certain standard of which every team, if you are playing in the top flight, should have a grass pitch.”

Celtic suffered a 1-0 Viaplay Cup defeat on Kilmarnock’s pitch in August, but Rodgers believes his side are better equipped for Sunday’s trip to Ayrshire.

“Certainly where the team is at now is a far different place to back then,” Rodgers said.

“It was probably a good time to play us with players coming in and the challenges we had. It’s a different team – the structure and attitude is different.

“That doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy game. Derek (McInnes) has really put his team in a good place in the top six and they are hard to beat.”

Oh Hyeon-gyu affirmed his hopes of playing in the Asian Cup in January after netting two goals in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Hibernian in only his second start under Rodgers.

With Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda also in the running for the Japan squad, Rodgers is poised to go into the transfer market for a striker and his club were this week linked with a move for Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski.

“It will depend,” he said, when asked about his plans for a new striker in January. “Clearly we are trying to anticipate over the last few months the guys that will go away to the Asian Cup.

“Clearly if Daizen is away, Kyogo is away and Oh is away, we would have to do something in the market.”

Mikey Johnston was also given a rare start against Hibs but Rodgers told the winger in a post-match media interview that he had to “do more”.

When asked about how to get the best out of players, Rodgers said: “That’s always the challenge of a coach. You are having to find many different ways to do it but, of course, you are always best being honest.

“Mikey knows that. The reason Mikey is still here, from the summer, is because I rate him as a player. I could easily have put him out on loan but I know his talent and I want to do everything I possibly can to allow him to maximise that talent.

“He has made great strides in his training performance just in terms of his consistency, and made an impact coming off the bench, but I know how much he wants to play for Celtic and start for Celtic.

“I know he was disappointed himself the other night. But without forcing it you hope you can see his qualities on a regular basis.

“He is a very, very talented player, one of the very best to come out of the academy here in terms of talent, individual quality, one v one, speed, he’s got stronger as well.

“But he’s not a baby anymore. He is 24 and if you want to start regularly for Celtic you have to have a robustness, you have to be mentally strong, you have to be competitive and physically brave.”

Rangers have been hit with a huge double injury blow ahead of one of the most important weeks in the club’s season.

Striker Danilo may have to have surgery on a knee injury picked up against Hearts on Wednesday night, while midfielder Tom Lawrence is also out until at least the winter break with a muscle problem which saw him go off in the first half at Tynecastle.

Rangers host Dundee in the cinch Premiership on Saturday, and after their final Europa League group game against Real Betis in Spain on Thursday night – the Gers have a chance of making the knockout stages but Europa Conference League football is guaranteed – the Light Blues prepare for the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen at Hampden Park the following Sunday.

Kemar Roofe is not ready to play 90 minutes yet while Nico Raskin, Ryan Jack and Scott Wright are also missing with various ailments.

Gers boss Philippe Clement, who  will go into the transfer marker in January to seek a replacement for Danilo, said: “Tom will be out for sure until the winter break and Danilo will also be out until that time so that is not so good.

“Danilo has a problem with his knee because of a bad tackle in the game, an unlucky situation, part of football. Because of contact he had a problem with his knee.

“The chances are he requires surgery so yes, it could be long term.

“It is a big blow for the players because they were really motivated, they were performing well and it is now time to focus on the guys who are fit because we have really important games now.”

Mauricio Pochettino admitted the pressure to perform is massive at Chelsea after the Blues’ lacklustre performance during their 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.

The Blues failed to build on Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Brighton when they fell to Scott McTominay’s late header at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The Chelsea boss acknowledged that the expectations on his shoulders are high, but reiterated that success is only a matter of time.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash at Everton on Sunday, Pochettino said: “We can not forget that we are at Chelsea and the pressure is massive. It is about to win and when we don’t win, we feel the pressure.

“That is why we know what we need to do and it’s a matter of time. Sometimes it’s six months and sometimes it’s a year, but we need to analyse the situation.

“We are building something that will pay off. We knew when we accepted this offer that it was going to be tough.”

Chelsea sit in 10th and have made little signs of improvements after last season’s bottom-half finish.

Former Argentina international Pochettino remained hopeful that his young team will eventually challenge for the top four.

“We are going to challenge (for top four),” he said.

“Maybe not now, but for sure in the future. Who knows, we hope as soon as possible, but for sure we are going to challenge.”

Sunday’s opponents Everton have won three out of their last four after their important 3-0 home win over Newcastle on Thursday.

Pochettino, who has only lost to Sean Dyche once in his career, is expecting a difficult challenge from the Toffees.

He added: “He manages in a different style and they can play in different ways.

“I think his teams are always aggressive and they play like Sean’s personality.

“He is aggressive, he’s brave and I think we are going to find a team who will press high and build from the back and be direct. It’s going to be interesting because it will be a massive challenge for us.

“We need to match the energy because they are a team who brings great energy.”

Everton’s were deducted 10 points for breaching Premier League financial rules last month.

Pochettino thinks the ruling was unfair and believes it has galvanised the atmosphere inside Goodison Park.

“In adversity you can build something special,” he said.

“When something like this happens it will unify everyone and make them feel part of the unfair decision.

“We are going to find a tough atmosphere and if we want to perform in the Premier League we have to deal with this.”