Celtic

Trabzonspor want to sign Celtic and Scotland left-back Greg Taylor, 27. (Record), external

Meanwhile, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is eager to keep hold of Japan forward Kyogo Furuhashi, 29. (Herald - subscription), external

Sondre Orjasaeter, 21, is aware of interest from Celtic and his club, Sarpsborg, want £7m for the winger. (Record), external

Athens Kallithea manager Massimo Donati, the former Celtic player, would like to return to Scotland "one day". (Sun), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

Celtic survived a scare at Ross County by producing a late burst of goals to stretch their lead at the Scottish Premiership summit to 18 points.

Jordan White's second-half penalty had brought the hosts level, but Kyogo Furhahshi added his second in the 81st minute before a retaken Arne Engels penalty in stoppage time and Luke McCowan strike added gloss to the scoreline.

Both sides had their chances in the first half and there were screams for a penalty from Celtic when Reo Hatate went down in the County box under pressure from Eli Campbell, but play was waved on and the Video Assistant Referee was happy to let the action continue.

Kyogo fired Celtic into the lead minutes after missing a gilt-edged chance as he poked in a lovely cross from right-back Alistair Johnston.

Celtic fans, were you out braving the cold in Dingwall or following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the game.

Have your say, external.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I think the team put in a great effort.

"We dominated the first half I felt and we should have been more than one goal ahead.

"When they scored and pulled it back we showed that mentality the team have. That resilience we have as a team, it's about finding a way to keep going. I thought the players were fantastic in cold, cold conditions. Today is about mentality and commitment. I'm just delighted for the three points.

"The game won't be as fast as what we'd normally like but you have to adapt and meet that challenge. the players did that. once you get pegged back we kept the calmness, made a few changes and the guys who came on did very well.

"It was never going to be perfect but I really liked what Kyogo [Furuhashi] did. We asked him to, as we progressed throughout he pitch, to be a bit more central. I thought the three guys on that side, him Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston, looked to find the best solutions that the game needed.

"Normally we play with out-and-out wingers and numbers inside but we had to adapt it today. He coped really well and he has the goal threat."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic did what champions do best and, despite being under the cosh for much of the second half, they found a way to win – and win comfortably - even playing with only one fit winger in the starting XI.

Kyogo Furuhashi, despite being deployed out wide, looked back to his scoring best as he turned in two goals while Arne Engels' willingness to retake the penalty sums up the confidence Rodgers' side are playing with.

Celtic are now a whopping 18 points clear at the top, before Rangers take on rock-bottom St Johnstone on Sunday, and aren't showing any signs of easing off despite a hectic domestic and European schedule.

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Kyogo Furuhashi looked back to his goalscoring best as he scored twice, and could have had more, in Celtic's victory.

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Ross County's new striker Kieran Phillips is in line for a debut. Michee Efete faces a fitness check after sitting out the Kilmarnock match, while Ryan Leak (Achilles), Alex Samuel (thigh), Ross Laidlaw, Eli Campbell and Will Nightingale (all knee) are still out.

Celtic are without wingers Daizen Maeda (strain), Nicolas Kuhn (thigh), James Forrest (foot) and Luis Palma (bereavement).

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says the heavier-than-ever fixture schedule is a "real challenge" and he hopes a "solution" can be found to reinstate the winter break.

Celtic's trip to Dingwall to face Ross County on Saturday is their fourth game in 10 days and there's little time to rest as they visit Dundee on Tuesday.

The Premiership scrapped its winter break this season following the expansion of the Champions League and Europa League.

And Rodgers says the quality has been affected as a result.

"When I used to be up here, we knew that December was going to be a hard schedule, getting through all of that," Rodgers said.

"Then you had your New Year's game and only then you'd have a couple of weeks to reset, refresh and then go again for the second part of the season.

"To then actually have even more games in that period, now that we don't have a break, it is a real challenge. You can't deny that.

"You've got to produce the best product you can and that can be a challenge when you have so many fixtures."

Rodgers would support the reintroduction of the winter break "if it was ever possible", adding: "I think it's for the greater good of the game for our supporters.

"I think the schedule is only getting greater and heavier and that will have an impact on players' injuries because they're not robots.

"We want to produce the best football that we can for supporters so they get the value for money. You never want the tempo to drop. But that will invariably happen once you've just churned out all these games with very little recovery time."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to travel to face Ross County.

Here are the main points:

• Celtic are set to be without four wingers for the trip to Dingwall. Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda will miss the game but Rodgers insists they're "not longer term" injuries and should be fine for the trip to Dundee on Tuesday.

• Luis Palma had a bereavement overnight so he won't travel and James Forrest is still out but apart from that everyone is available.

• The Northern Irishman says his side "have to get on with" the busy fixture schedule and insists they'll be doing everything they can "to produce the best performances and results".

• On Odin Holm's potential loan move to Los Angelese FC, Rodgers is hopeful it will be "confirmed soon" and suggests there may be "one or two others" leaving over the course of the window.

• On the MLS mistakenly claiming Kyogo Furuhashi had joined Atlanta United, Rodgers says "I can guarantee Kyogo is on the coach and he's travelling to Ross County, he's certainly not in the MLS."

• On the January window as a whole, the manager insists the club worked hard leading up to it and is "hopeful we can get players in we would like", adding he's keen to "bring in more attacking threat and goals".

• Rodgers says the 15-point lead over Rangers in the Premiership is a result of Celtic's consistency which "can be a big advantage" in a competition.

• The Celtic boss adds that the performance in the 3-0 defeat at Ibrox was "nowhere near" what he was looking for and "doesn't expect them to be anywhere near that level again".

• On the challenge of Ross County, Rodgers says they will be "hard to beat" and the match "will be about resilience, mentality and getting through the tough moments in the game".

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Celtic supporters are helping American defender Auston Trusty "feel at home" in Glasgow.

The centre-back was serenaded by Celtic fans in Tuesday's victory over Dundee United along with fellow US international and defensive partner Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Trusty, who joined from Sheffield United in the summer, has become an important member of Brendan Rodgers' side.

"To be here for a short bit and have a song already, myself and Cameron, it means the world to me and just makes me really feel at home," Trusty said.

"It shows you have backing and people really appreciate what you do. It's just an amazing feeling to hear fans singing and mentioning your name. It's just a really good feeling.

"I've had some messages from back home and they are loving it.

"It's a little bit different being in the States and you don't really feel the atmosphere, you just have to use your imagination.

"But the ones who have been here know what it's like and they can tell it's amazing."

• Ross County have lost their past 13 meetings with Celtic in all competitions since a 1-0 home league win in February 2021.

• Celtic have lost just one of their past 18 visits to Ross County in all competitions (W15 D2), winning their last seven in a row.

• Ross County have won three of their past four league games (D1), as many as their first 18 such matches of the season beforehand (W3 D6 L9). The Staggies could win three successive Scottish Premiership games for the first time since March 2022.

• Celtic have kept 17 clean sheets in 21 league games this season, at least three more than they have ever previously recorded in their opening 21 matches of a league campaign (14 in 1913-14, 1916-17, and 2003-04).

• Daizen Maeda has been directly involved in five goals in his last five league games for Celtic (3 goals, 2 assists), as many as his first 15 such appearances of this season beforehand.

Celtic midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, 21, is expected to join Los Angeles FC in time for pre-season, with their Major League Soccer season starting in March. (Record), external

Rayo Vallecano have opened talks with Celtic over the potential loan signing of winger Luis Palma, 24, and the Spanish club want an option to buy the Honduras international for £2.1m. (Mail), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

However unharmonious the notes have been between manager and some sections of the Celtic support lately, there's one area of the pitch where everyone's singing from the same hymn sheet.

The favourite song around the East End used to eulogise 'Jota on the wing'. Fears that the Portuguese playmaker would be greatly missed since his departure two summers ago have proven largely unfounded. Especially when you consider the contribution of the champions' current first-pick wide men.

Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda have scored 30 goals between them already. The calendar has only just flipped into a new year and Celtic are only two games beyond the Premiership's halfway point. It's a staggering return for players who'd more normally be associated with being providers.

Interestingly, Brendan Rodgers doesn't necessarily share that view. "That's their job, to create goals and to score them," he said when I asked him recently about the pair's impressive numbers. They've certainly responded to the challenge.

Maeda is having his best spell at the club since Ange Postecoglou brought him over three years ago. The Japan flying machine will probably push Kuhn hard for Scottish football's player of the year award.

Which begs the question: are the wingers having to score more because the strikers aren't? Or does the way Celtic play require the striker to be more selfless and create the space for others to flourish?

It won't have escaped anyone's notice Kyogo Furuhashi has been curiously quiet. In a Celtic team that have scored 84 goals across all competitions, Kyogo has contributed 10.

In his first two seasons under Postecoglou, he notched 16 and 14 respectively before Christmas. He still hit 20 last season and is halfway there this term. No crisis. Yet Furuhashi only properly sparks into life sporadically these days. He's not quite the force he was. Moves away have been mooted – to the Premier League previously and potentially to America's MLS now.

A big-game talisman, Kyogo would be difficult to replace, even with Adam Idah waiting for his chance. The Republic of Ireland striker has yet to live up to his £9m price tag but that 'first season' isn't always smooth. Just ask Kuhn.

The German's emergence as Celtic's main man has taken the heat – and spotlight – off the two recognised strikers. Idah and Kyogo between them only have two more goals than Kuhn.

The challenge for Idah is to rediscover the form he showed when Celtic won the title. His performance at Rugby Park that night was top notch. Kyogo's biggest challenge might be to figure out where his long-term future lies if – and it is only 'if' - this is to be his last season in Scotland.

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Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh has joined Belgian top-flight club Mechelen on loan until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old academy graduate has made 68 Celtic appearances but only two this season.

"Mechelen have shown for some time that they would like to have me there. I want to fight my way into the team as soon as possible," Welsh told the Belgian side's website.

We asked for your thoughts after Celtic beat Dundee United 2-0 in the Scottish Premiership.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Peter: Good result and three points. Some Celtic fans really need to think carefully about their idiotic actions. Continue what they have been doing for the last two matches and I can see Brendan Rodgers walking away for good. We have never had it so good. Lose our manager and just watch the cookie crumble. Now is time to back the actions and words of our manager.

Patrick: Even though Dundee United contained Celtic well, it never felt like we were in danger thanks to a really solid defensive performance. The players overall looked tired but got the job done nonetheless. Great to extend the lead to 16 points.

Benny: Loads of possession but never looked totally convincing overall. Guilty of overplaying around the United penalty area with no real cutting edge. One or two shaky moments in defence, but three points in the bag eventually. Still seem a bit off the boil compared to before the festive period. Lacked a bit of spark we will need for Europe.

Paul: All a bit pedestrian from Celtic these days, not an easy spectacle for fans watching, but results matter and the team are getting the job done. One has to be concerned about the lack of goals from Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi, both running on empty recently which is very ominous indeed. A proven striker is a necessity during this month's January window.

Liam: We controlled the game, kept a clean sheet and got the job done. The games are every few days so it's to be applauded. We don't make enough chances for our strikers but Arne Engels continues to look good. The number nine position is a concern and we need another wide man. I'd like to see our central midfielders attack the space in the last third.

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Celtic captain Callum McGregor has praised "fantastic" Arne Engels after the Belgium midfielder's improvement continued with a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win over Dundee United.

Engels, Celtic's record signing following his £11m arrival from Augsburg in the summer, came in for criticism as he struggled to live up to his hefty price tag but the 21-year-old has impressed in recent games.

On Wednesday night he created the most chances (three), delivered the most crosses (13), attempted the most shots (five) and had the most touches in the opposition box (12) of any player on the pitch.

"Arne has been fantastic since he walked in the door. Big price tag, big expectation, and he has handled it so, so well," McGregor told Celtic TV.

"He's such a down-to-earth kid as well and just wants to work hard. You've seen that, he just keeps getting stronger and stronger.

"It's a pleasure to play with him and he's a team player, which is brilliant. Really happy for him. Top player and making brilliant strides."

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• Celtic have kept a clean sheet in 17 of their 21 games, more than any other in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic have scored in 19 of their 21 games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic have scored 12 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Dundee United (14) have scored more in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic have scored 12 goals via substitutes in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

Celtic extended their Scottish Premiership lead to 16 points but were pushed all the way by Dundee United despite initially looking likely to cruise to victory.

Daizen Maeda set the hosts on their way midway through the first half before substitute Reo Hatate's late second secured the points.

But a lack of direct threat on goal made the win hard work as United grew in confidence and looked capable of snatching a point.

The Tannadice side's long wait for victory at Celtic Park goes on, though, with the last coming way back in 1992 under Jim McLean.

Jim Goodwin's side remain third in the table and would surely have accepted that position at this stage of their league campaign.

Celtic fans, were you at Parkhead on Sunday or following along from home? Either way we want to know what you made of your team's performance.

Have your say, external

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "We got into some really good areas then it was only 1-0 [at half-time].

"In the second half we just lost a little bit of our attacking connection. No matter how dominant you are you're going to have to defend for some spells.

"You have to deal with that and fairness to the players they did that really well. Then we get the second goal and put the game to bed.

"You try to but it's not easy. There are two teams playing in the game, you want to get into the areas. I think in the first half we could have crossed the ball a bit more.

"I can't fault the players, they're giving everything in what is a really demanding schedule. When you're the team having to take the game to the opponent, it takes a big big effort and I think the effort was there from the players. One we weathered the storm we finished the game really well.

"After 21 games it tells you why they're there. They work very very hard to limit you to opportunities. They want to be in the game until the last 20 minutes. I have to give huge credit to our players because to play how we want to play takes a lot of effort and energy and mobility.

"The game shows you all the time that you can't give very little and get a lot back, you have to give everyhting to the game."

On Nicolas Kuhn who dropped out of the starting line-up before kick-off, Rodgers adds: "He felt something in the top of his thigh, he didn't feel he could risk it so we just need to see what that looks like."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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This was as one way as it gets, for the first half. Not so in the second period.

Right from the off Celtic took a firm grip of the ball and camped in United's half looking for any gap to exploit.

They enjoyed 84% possession in that period alone, pinning their opponents in and ultimately deserved this win.

The only frustration will be a failure to threaten Jack Walton nearly enough given their initial dominance.

The late call-off from Nicolas Kuhn may have made a difference to the scoreline or, at least, direct chances as his replacement Yang Hyun-Jun hasn't managed anywhere near the same impact.

That may be an area Brendan Rodgers will look to strengthen in this window.

In the end, it was a satisfying evening for Celtic as they successfully ticked off another win in pursuit of another title. They remain very much on course.

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A goal and an assist for Daizen Maeda in what was another impressive night for the pacy winger.