BRENDAN Rodgers refused to blame tiredness for Celtic's dismal display against Hibs in Edinburgh.

The Parkhead boss insisted his squad's lack of depth was the reason for a 2-0 defeat which keeps the champions off the top of the Premiership and new signings MUST be made next month.

Celtic were without the rested Kieran Tierney, Ryan Christie, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig (all injured) and of course Leigh Griffiths.

And Rodgers's men never looked like taking even a point from Easter Road.

The Celtic manager said: "It was disappointing, of course, the result and performance. We gave away two poor goals from our perspective, nothing to do with energy from Thursday, it was to do with tactical discipline and not concentrating.

“In the first minute we left gaps, we pressed at the wrong time and then we didn’t track runners at such an early stage of the game. That was disappointing because we didn’t get off to a good start playing against a team that wasn’t overly confident. It’s not as if they have been flying high.

“The second one comes from our free-kick. Again, it’s tactical discipline. We don’t secure the ball at the top end of the field and Scott Brown is left in a two against one situation at the back. So, two poor goals from our perspective and then we didn’t create enough going forward.

“We had some flashes across the box and what-not, but we didn’t quite have the performance level today."

Rodgers was forced to abandon his normal system and went with a 3-5-2 which from the first minute - Hibs scored after 46 seconds - to the last did not work.

He said: "The formation may well have had an effect. I don’t think it had anything to do with the goals. If we need someone to blame then blame the system, but that was the system because of the players we had available.

“We had to manufacture a way which me thought could get us a result. It’s not what we’ve been for a few months, but we don’t have the same players available.

“We need to obviously (strengthen) in the window. When we had Leigh and Odsonnne (Edouard), we were definitely in the market for another striker. Because of the number of games that we play, I think it’s been unfair on Odsonne. He has had to play in so many games as a 20-year-old when I’ve wanted to take him out.

“But through necessity, really, he’s had to play. That’s been unfortunate for him as he’s not had the support around him in terms of that. It is certainly something in January that we have to look at it.”

Rodgers expects to be back next month which is now shaping up to be one of the most important period's of his Celtic tenure.

He said: "Today really doesn’t underline anything. There is nothing new we saw in this performance that we didn’t already know.

"We need support, of course, but like I say the players have been brilliant, really, and it’s been unfortunate that we’ve hit a period when we’ve suffered injuries to important players. That’s broken the fluency a wee bit.

“And today, if you don’t stand up to that, and you have a couple of moments like he did, then you can concede.

"The likes of Callum McGregor is playing his 40th game today which is an incredible amount of football – and it’s not even half a season yet.

“But, listen, tiredness wasn’t an excuse for the two goals. That had nothing to do with it. When you concede in the first minute it’s nothing to do with energy, it’s to do about positioning on the pitch and our pressing."