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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Aidan Macdonald

Brendan Rodgers criticises Celtic festive fixture schedule change

Brendan Rodgers has slammed the SPFL for Celtic's festive fixture schedule.

The Parkhead side were originally pencilled in to play Dundee on December 27 before the match was moved to Boxing Day for TV purposes.

And the 50-year made clear he was unhappy with the switch. He said: "I just saw that there and it's not ideal. Obviously we would have preferred it to stay as it was.

"It is interesting actually, and I'm pretty sure I'm correct about this, Celtic have been away at that period of the season for the last seven years. 

"So either we’re very, very unlucky.. or someone’s making tricks behind the scenes. Especially at that time of the year.

"Seven years on the spin this club has been away at this time of the season, that is not right for supporters.

"So hopefully they can maybe look at that going forward." 

Rodgers also revealed that Reo Hatate's hamstring injury is a "bad one".

The Celtic midfielder limped off six minutes into the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

And the Northern Irishman says the Japan international will be unavailable for the upcoming run of games.

There is not a definitive timeline but he will definitely be out for a few weeks," he said.

"We are just waiting on it to settle down and just waiting on the result and then we will see where he is at but it looked quite a bad one.

"If you watch the game then in the first 35 seconds he is overstretched and he has felt it very early on.

"It is such a shame for him. He was out with a hamstring injury last year and it is his other one this time so we just need to try and get to the bottom of that."

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