Brendan Rodgers expects Celtic to be playing ALL YEAR as boss preps for mega month of games

Brendan Rodgers expects Celtic to be playing all year round before too long as he sees football becoming a "12 month sport."

The Hoops boss is preparing to face a hectic schedule after the current international break, taking on Aberdeen in a top of the table Premiership clash at Parkhead this Saturday, Champions League clashes with Atalanta, RB Leipzig and a Premier Sports Cup semi final meeting with the Dons. And that's before you factor in league encounters with Motherwell, Dundee, Kilmarnock, Hearts and Ross County before November is out.

“Yes, there’s definitely more football crammed into shorter timeframes," Rodgers said. Looking forward, I think football is heading towards becoming a 12-month sport. Players may not only get rest in the summer, but at different points throughout the year. There are more games and higher demands on players. They love playing, but we want to maintain quality in every match. We’ll continue to prepare the players as best we can, motivating and inspiring them to perform well, and so far, they’ve done a fantastic job.”

Rodgers will come up against the man of the moment, Jimmy Thelin for the first time this weekend. The Swede is matching the Parkhead boss point for point so far this season and something has to give in Glasgow this weekend.

“I’ve not met Jimmy before, but his work speaks for itself," he said. "His team is well-organized, defending in a 4-4-2, and they work incredibly hard off the ball. When they have possession, they look to build from the back and progress through the thirds. They have a good mix of talented and experienced players.

"Aberdeen is a club that’s always expected to be near the top. During my first spell here, they were always in finals and challenging at the