Brendan Rodgers has insisted that Jonny Hayes is more than capable of handling the pressure at Ibrox if Kieran Tierney fails to make Saturday's game against Rangers.

The Celtic manager has backed Hayes as time looks to be running out for Tierney to make the trip to Ibrox with an ongoing hip complaint.

The Scotland internationalist has missed Celtic's last four games with the problem and although Rodgers stressed that he would be nursed through the next 48 hours, there seemed a strong hint that the game will come too soon for Tierney.

"He is clearly a question mark, in the next 48 hours we will see," said Rodgers. "If not it’s unfortunate, but we have other guys to come into the squad and that’s always an opportunity.’

"I’ve know Jonny since he was 15, he has played a number of positions and can play wing-back or left-back. So he is pretty comfortable and has that speed and power to get forward.

"But as you see with his recovery when he got back he has the work ethic as well. If he has to play there, or Emilio Izaguirre, then there is no problem." Meanwhile, Rodgers also praised the character of Celtic as they took all three points from Pittodrie after twice being pegged back in the game. A dramatic finale saw five goals netted in the last 14 minutes with Rodgers keen to highlight the mentality within his players who go to Ibrox with a three point lead and a game in hand. "That’s how their mind is over these last couple of years," he said. "We just focus on our job.

"You know that when you play Aberdeen in these games you have to fight. You have to show battling qualities, but you need to have calmness as well and the players have that.

"I have no doubt that when a game goes against them they will keep playing and get their reward." Rodgers was also enthused by Scott Sinclair's hat-trick that took his tally to 52 goals in his Celtic career.

“Scott knows where the goal is and he wants to be in there to score," he said.

“He’s done it since he was 16 years of age and he has produced in the big games. He loves that type of occasion and all of his finishes were very good.

“Young Odsonne also coming into the game for that last period also made a big difference in relation to his penetration in behind."

Meanwhile, Rodgers will look to seriously get to work on adding to his sqaud once the January transfer window opens next week.

Talks are believed to be progressing on a loan deal for 18-year-old Timothy Weah, the son of former Ballon d''Or winner George Weah. The American has confirmed that he will leave parent club PSG on loan in January with Celtic looking to take the player.

The Parkhead club have also been linked with a move for 23-year-old Atalanta right-back Timothy Castagne, although it is understood that the Italian club are unwilling to sell a player despite the fact he has had very little game time so far this season.