Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will not let his players’ minds wander towards this weekend’s key derby clash with Rangers, insisting full focus is on the Boxing Day trip to Dens Park to face Dundee.

The second Old Firm clash of the cinch Premiership season takes place on Saturday, with the potential for serious ramifications in the title race. However, both teams have one more match before then in a packed festive schedule, with Celtic playing the Dees and then 24 hours later, Rangers are at home to Ross County. The champions are fully aware of the importance of not taking Tony Docherty’s team lightly.

“It’s so far away,” Rodgers said of the match against Rangers. “Next weekend, these are always great games, but for us as managers, coaches, players, the focus is purely on Dundee. We’ll recover, train and travel – going up there looking to get three points.”

Brendan Rodgers takes his Celtic team to Dens Park on Boxing Day.

Following two league defeats on the spin, Celtic got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Livingston last weekend. Rodgers hopes it acts as a catalyst ahead of Celtic’s final three matches before the winter shutdown. “I think the next three games are clearly important for us,” he continued. “December can always be a grind. It can be a real grind of a month with lots of games. You want the tempo and intensity. That’s been hard for us at times, purely because a lot of the same players are having to play. We’ve not been able to jig it about. Against Livingston, the guys responded really well and we want to keep that going into the next game.”

Celtic refuse to let Rangers clash dominate thoughts ahead of Boxing Day test