As the swelling settled on Lewis Morgan’s ankle on Monday morning, the Celtic winger had cause to celebrate the different hues around the bruising delivered by the boot of Hearts’ midfielder Peter Haring. The Tynecastle player took a yellow for the offence – there was a call for a more severe sanction – but for Morgan it was a welcome reminder that he is still in the game.

“He apologised afterwards, to be fair,” said the 22-year-old. “I think it was just down to frustration on their part because we were playing so well – it’s not something I‘ve lost any sleep over.”

The cause of a more restless slumber might well be attributed to working out a path to regular first-team football. Morgan was handed a starting jersey for Celtic’s Europa League defeat against Leipzig in Germany almost a fortnight ago but inclusion in the first XI has not been a regular affair for the winger. In fairness, he was derailed just as he was getting his feet under the table when a clean-up operation was required on his knee which resulted in taking a step back before a gradual return to training.

Patience, though, is clearly required as Morgan looks to force his way into Brendan Rodgers’ side. In that respect he has had an able guide of late in Ryan Christie, with the attacker showing that perseverance can pay-off. Christie has netted three goals in as many games as talks around a contract extension take place but the 23-year-old had loan spells at Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Aberdeen before he returned to stake his claim at Celtic Park.

“I am happy for Ryan,” said Morgan. “He has done really well in the last few games. He has trained well, he has bid his time and that is something that I hope will come my way. It is frustrating not playing but the team are doing well and it is a team game. You want to help out but you have to be patient as Ryan was and now he is doing really well. He has deserved his place and hopefully he will remain there.

“I don’t think it is now or never. I am 22 so I have got ten or 15 years ahead of me so I don’t put that pressure on myself. What I do is come in and work hard and try to show the manager why I should be in the team and when that chance does come I will be in a position where I can take it.

“I am not looking to go out on loan. I am looking to go out and play. I am just focusing on the games coming up. We have been doing really well and we are hoping to keep it going.

“I think we have 9 games in December. I am hoping I get my chance no matter what. I don’t want to be put in because of injuries. I am trying to show every day why I should be playing. The team is doing really well just now which is the most important thing but if I can come on and influence things then hopefully I will see where that takes me.”

Tomorrow night may well offer another opportunity. Celtic host Red Bull Leipzig in their fourth Europa League game in Group B, a game they really need to win if there are to hang on to their ambitions of making it into the knockout stages of Europe’s second tier tournament. The Bundesliga side have spoken of their willingness to come to Glasgow and win – and the fact they are bringing their biggest ever travelling support would suggest they believe there will be something to shout about. If Rodgers’ side are to take anything from the game they will have to find a way of bridging their current domestic form into the Europa League.

“We were always aware that our home games would be important and this one is really pivotal for us,” said Morgan. “We showed in Germany – for the first period anyway – that we could go toe to toe with them and I believe we have a real chance of getting a positive result on Thursday.

“That was my first start and I want to experience a lot more of that. You want to get that rhythm in your game by getting starts under your belt but there are loads of guys here who want to play. It was a positive experience for me.

“The home games are the ones we’d targeted as the ones where we could really put a marker down in Europe because playing abroad is always tough and anything you get is a bonus. But you’ve seen in the past that Celtic Park can be a massive asset for us on the night. We’re in good form and so are they so it should be some game.”