TIRED & TESTED Rodgers admits his weary stars deserve a break

looked “leggy” in thr 2-1 defeat at home to Salzburg that, mercifully from Celtic’s perspective, didn’t prove fatal to their European ambitions.

But he hopes his team will be in better shape by the time their next Continental challenge comes around.

He said: “Some of our players have played over a season’s worth of games and we are not even at the halfway point. So you can understand why they are a bit leggy but it also shows the character of the squad.

“I’m sure we’ll get a good side in the draw. And when the time comes to play that tie in February we will be in a better place. We will be a bit fresher and hopefully back up to strength.

“The players have put in such a big effort. Against Salzburg I thought we were a bit tired looking at times. When you play against that level of opponent that are so quick you have to be able to play through the pressure quickly. “We just looked a fraction leggy and that’s because we have put so much in. The players deserve all the credit. When they are pushed they keep going and it’s an absolutely brilliant achievement for them to get through.” “That is all in the future for Celtic. More pressing is the afternoon’s league match at Easter Road against a Hibernian side looking to build on last week’s victory over Hamilton. The manager added: “It’s a tough schedule but it’s that way because we have been successful. “That’s the way you want it to be and we just have to try and recover the players as fast as we can and get them as fresh as we can. “Easter Road is a notoriously difficult place to go. Hibs had their first win for a long time last week so we will be ready for a tough game.”